


Living for the moment

by Lyviel



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Drug Use, Homelessness, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Modern AU, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Burn, homophobia mention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:54:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 22,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25554664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyviel/pseuds/Lyviel
Summary: A series of glimpses at Klaus’ life if he’d met Dave in his mid 20s. His life isn’t magically transformed, love can’t fix either of them when they’re both homeless and in a bad place. They’re not even really ready for a relationship yet. But maybe a supportive friendship can set them on a better path, the two of them inspiring each other to take care of themselves. It’s going to be a long and bumpy ride, and the question is, when will they actually admit to themselves that they have feelings for each other?
Relationships: Dave/Klaus Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves/Dave Katz, Klaus Hargreeves/David "Dave" Katz
Comments: 33
Kudos: 146





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Addiction and homelessness are heavy topics and I am going to do my best to handle them respectfully. And I know relationships when addiction is at play can be incredibly difficult and potentially harmful for both parties and I don't want to dismiss any of that just because I want to write a cute fic. They won't always do the right thing, they're just people after all, but this fic is all about hope and I will do my best to have them face their struggles in a realistic way so that any relationship they have will be both a happy and a healthy one. Please feel free to give me any feedback you have and I will do my best to take it into consideration

Klaus was completely lost in the music, letting it carry him along however it pleased as it pulsed through the club, filling every part of him. He loved dancing and would often get caught up like this, feeling so free and light and just enjoying the moment, so it was a surprise when the sound of a laugh nearby caught his attention. Usually he would have just ignored it, sound tended to blur together in clubs anyway, but there was just something about how open and joyful it was that he couldn’t shake. 

Glancing over, he found his eyes drawn to a man on the other side of the dance floor. The energy around him was so bright and inviting, only enhanced by his charmingly mussed curls and open expression, with a laid back grunge style going on that suited him. He was obviously a bit tipsy, but the smile he wore was just so genuine and radiant, it looked like he was having the time of his life. 

It was stunning. 

He drew Klaus in, made him want to be in on the joke, to be a part of his evening, part of the joy that surrounded him, and maybe even the cause of that smile. Even moreso when the man caught his eye and sent him a flirty wink that was so cheesy it nearly made him laugh out loud. 

There were too many people between them to approach, but they kept sending looks each other’s way and suddenly Klaus was more interested in this little game of theirs than he was in dancing. When the song finally ended and the man went to take a break, Klaus was surprised when he dropped into a seat at an empty table. It had seemed like he was friends with everyone around him, but apparently he’d come alone. Which meant Klaus’ choice here was an easy one as he also made his way off the dance floor. 

He’d forgotten that he’d promised some guy a drink earlier, but there he was waiting for him with a glass for them both and a hopeful smile. Klaus supposed he was fine enough, but he had different plans now and who was he to go against the flow the night had for him? It always paid to have a backup plan, though, and thankfully Klaus was nothing if not smooth, so by the time he extracted himself from the situation, he’d managed to convince the guy it was all his idea as he snagged the drinks for himself and left him standing there.

Apparently the man across the dance floor with the radiant smile had seen it all because, as Klaus dropped into the seat across from him, he started laughing. 

“That was too smooth,” he said. “Truly, I am in awe.”

“Good, then you can get the next round,” Klaus said, sliding one glass over to him. 

“Sorry to disappoint, but I’ll have to get it the boring way.” 

“That’s a shame,” Klaus said with a smirk. 

“Trust me, it’s not,” he laughed, but at least he didn’t seem to be turning him down. Instead, he leaned his elbows on the table, as if trying to lean closer.

“Klaus,” he said, raising his glass in a toast.

“To Klaus,” the man replied, raising his own.

“No, I mean, that’s my name,” Klaus chuckled. 

“You’re allowed to toast yourself,” he said easily. “Dave.”

“Then, to Dave as well,” Klaus said.

“To Klaus and Dave,” Dave said, taking a sip, and Klaus liked the sound of that for some reason. “So, what’s a guy like you doing at a table like this?”

“Well you see, when one is tired from a night of dancing and wants to take a breather and perhaps chat up another handsome patron—”

“Handsome, hmm?” Dave said with a pleased smile.

“Sorry, do you prefer to be called pretty?” Klaus asked.

“Yes, actually,” Dave said with a pleased smile. “My goal is to be the prettiest here, but it seems I have competition. Not that I could possibly complain about that.” 

“Oh, flattery will get you everywhere,” Klaus said, lounging against the table.

“Oh, no, I’m sorry, I wasn’t talking about you,” Dave said quickly, but there was mischief in his eyes. “I saw someone’s guide dog earlier.”

“What? Where?” Klaus demanded, spinning around and craning his neck to see over the crowd.

“I think he left, unfortunately,” Dave laughed. “He was a very good boy, though.”

“Of course he was,” Klaus said indignantly. “All dogs are very good boys.”

“On that we can definitely agree.”

Tonight was... different. Usually, when Klaus caught the eye of some attractive individual, things went in a rather predictable direction. Everyone was there to numb the pain for a few hours, to get what joy they could before the sun came up and they were forced to face the harsh light of reality again. This was a place for one night stands and harmless fun, no attachments. Usually it was all forgotten when the sun came up anyway. That’s why he liked it.

Tonight, though, they just kept talking. Sure, they still flirted, but they kept getting lost in conversation, joking around and playing off each other so well that suddenly hours had passed and neither of them had really made a move. Not that Klaus didn’t want to, of course. Dave was so engaging and charismatic and funny and Klaus didn’t want the night to end. 

He never wanted to stop talking to him, he wanted to know everything about him, like how he was able to make Klaus laugh so hard he thought he was going to cry, or why he always looked so pleased when it happened. He was just so interesting and pretty, and he seemed so soft, and-- he had to stop himself because it was completely unlike himself to be so caught up in someone. So why did he keep thinking of places he’d like to take him or just things he wanted to tell him? Just little inconsequential things that he just thought he might appreciate or find funny. 

It wasn’t until Dave headed for the bathrooms, excusing himself politely of course, that Klaus started to panic. His hands were clenched tightly together, knee bouncing restlessly with the loss of distraction. He wasn’t used to this. He wasn’t used to looking to the future let alone actually imagining someone in it, as if anyone would even stick around that long. He didn’t have friends, at least none he’d consider close, it just made everything too real.

He was here to get high, to find some semblance of peace and pleasure before the ghosts returned and ruined his life again; he didn’t want to make things more complicated by bringing messy feelings into it. Couldn’t get hurt or hurt other people if you didn’t know them well enough, after all. And he didn’t want the responsibility of anyone trusting or counting on him. So why couldn’t he get the image of Dave’s smile out of his mind? 

Maybe he was just too sober. Maybe that’s all this was. He was getting sober and thinking too much and he could really use a hit of something stronger than shitty alcohol. At least he’d spotted one of his dealers earlier. He needed to resupply. It was fine, he’d probably be back before Dave. 

-

Klaus stood in the alley, head resting back against the cold stone of the wall as he waited for the pills to take effect. He wasn’t exactly sure how long he stood there, letting the high take him, but when he finally returned to his seat, he felt much calmer. Unfortunately, Dave was still missing. No problem, he was probably just still in the bathroom, he could wait.

\- 

Eventually, Klaus had to admit that Dave wasn’t coming back. It was too late for him to find anyone else to party with since the other guy who had bought him the drinks as well as the girl he’d flirted with when he’d first arrived had both long since left. With last call being announced, he knew the fun part of the night was over. There was no hope of getting any free drugs or a bed and he’d wasted a perfectly good party for nothing. His mood dampened, he headed out into the night, trying to decide if an alley would do for a bit of shuteye. 

“You had an unusually chill night,” Ben commented, falling into step with him. 

“I thought you didn’t like hanging around when I go out?” Klaus asks, hoping to change the subject. 

“I don’t,” Ben said, “But I got bored. You never take me anywhere fun so I gotta make my own somehow.”

“And you find it by stalking me?”

“Hell no, but you’re apparently impossible to escape.”

“I’m touched,” Klaus says sarcastically, pulling out a joint and searching for his lighter. “Fuck off.”

“Someone’s in a good mood,” Ben said, unphased. “You actually seemed like you had fun tonight. So why’d you ditch him?

“First of all,” Klaus said, coming to a stop as he pointed the unlit joint accusingly at Ben. “You usually hate all the people I hang out with. What’s with the sudden nosey interest? Second, I was the one who got stood up.” He turned and continued trudging down the street, muttering, “I hope he at least didn't feel like he had to climb out the bathroom window to get away.”

“It’s not like you’re a private person,” Ben persisted. “I’m just surprised when you have a night that doesn’t look like you’re headed for the gutter. And that guy didn’t stand you up. He waited at that table for, like, an hour while you were off with your dealer. He probably thinks you stood him up.”

“Oh,” Klaus said, feeling a bit guilty, but at least he’d finally found his lighter. “Well, his loss, I guess, that he didn’t wait another hour.”

“Yeah, you’re quite the catch,” Ben said and he could hear the eye roll even without looking.

“You know it,” Klaus said, waving his now-lit joint through Ben like he was trying to disperse smoke.

It didn’t exactly matter, anyway. Klaus wasn’t the dating type. He wasn’t really made for any sort of long term relationship. He’d tried it a few times and hated it. It just wasn’t worth the benefit of knowing he had a bed at the end of the day. He didn’t like feeling so tied to someone and it was only a matter of time before they got tired of putting up with him anyway. Even his family could barely stand him. The thought shouldn't have even crossed his mind. So why was he still thinking about this? And why could he still picture every detail of Dave’s face, down to the mischief in those baby blues? 

“So, what’s next?” Ben asked.

“Get off my back, man,” Klaus said. He was developing a headache. 

“Come on, I wanna go somewhere fun tomorrow. At least tell me we’re going back to the shelter tonight. I don’t want to sleep in a gutter again.”

“You aren’t even sleeping, what do you care?” Klaus asked.

“At least I can people watch at the shelter.”

“Creeper.”

“Shut up. You try to entertain yourself for hours when you can’t actually interact with anything.”

“Fine, fine, we’ll go to the shelter if it’ll make you stop,” Klaus said with a sigh, tossing his joint down onto the pavement and grinding it out with his shoe. 

At least he was on his own again. This was how it was meant to be. Well, Ben was there too, but neither of them really had much say in that. The point was, he’d probably never see Dave again and that was for the best. 

Or so he thought. 


	2. Chapter 2

Klaus rarely slept well. The most he could hope for most nights was a few hours of unconsciousness by getting blackout drunk or high, which unfortunately wasn’t known for being all that refreshing. This morning was no exception; what he’d taken the night before did the trick, but could only last so long and as it wore off, the voices of the ghosts always waiting at the edge of his mind slowly rose to the full force of their screaming and wailing. It jolted him awake with a start and he scrambled out of bed, breathing heavily, searching for his things and, most importantly, any drugs that he might have hidden away. 

“What a beautiful morning,” Ben said, taking Klaus’ spot on the bed

Klaus muttered a curse under his breath as he tried to ignore the concerned or irritated looks of the others trying to sleep at the shelter. He only had a few pills left, that would have to do for now. He flipped Ben off as subtly as he could before heading for the exit. He needed a cigarette. Desperately. 

“Oh, come on, don’t be like that,” Ben said, suddenly at his side. “You’re so grouchy in the morning. Let’s go do something fun for a change.”

“How about you take your ‘fun’ and--” 

Before he could come up with some sort of colorful finish, he nearly walked directly into another man. Looking up, he completely lost his train of thought as he found Dave staring at him in equal surprise. Considering Dave had taken center stage in some of his half-remembered restless dreams, he had a second of wondering if he was just really high or still dreaming. He wished he was high. 

“Hey,” Dave said with a smile. “Small world. Good to see you again.”

“Is it?” Klaus asked, legitimately curious as he lit up a cigarette in the doorway. “That’s not usually the reaction I get after standing someone up.”

“That was just kind of a line,” Dave admitted like he was sharing a secret, opening the door so they could both move outside, and probably so Klaus wouldn’t get yelled at for smoking indoors. “But now that you mention it, I had a good time otherwise so it’s not like I can be too annoyed.”

“Sure you can,” Klaus said. “I believe the appropriate reaction is usually anger.”

“Is it? If I had to pick, I’d say a little bummed, maybe,” Dave said with a shrug, pulling out his own cigarette. Klaus whipped out his lighter and held it out for him before he could go looking for his own. “We all got lives, man. You gotta go, you gotta go.”

Ben coughed, only half disguising the word ‘pushover,’ in the middle of it. Klaus ignored him.

“Can’t blame you for enjoying the ‘Klaus Experience,’” Klaus said with a wink. “Although, maybe you’ll get a kick out of this. I actually thought you’d stood me up.”

“Really? Does this mean you’re mad?” Dave asked.

“Hey man, anyone stands me up, it’s their loss,” Klaus said emphatically 

“That’s the spirit,” Dave laughed. 

“That’s the truth.”

“It certainly is,” Dave said with a much too sincere smile. “But I gotta know, how exactly does that work? You thinking I’d stood you up?”

“Eh, I got a bit high, lost track of time,” Klaus said with a shrug, taking a drag. “You know how it is.”

“I sure do,” Dave said, nodding sagely, although Klaus wasn’t sure if he actually agreed or was just humoring him. “If it wasn’t intentional, any chance you’d let me make it up to you? Promise I won’t stand you up this time.” 

“What?” Klaus said in surprise, barely stopping himself from choking on smoke. He hadn’t expected Dave to want anything to do with him after, well, everything. 

“Yeah, let me by you a--” he dug around in his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins. “A coffee?” He sounded much too hopeful and Klaus was irritated with himself for finding it endearing. 

“Well, how can I say no to coffee?” Klaus said, ignoring Ben’s disappointed sigh. Someone who wasn’t likely to get too angry at his antics was definitely someone worth keeping around, he reasoned. 

-

“So,” Klaus said, making himself comfortable on his side of the booth, stretching his legs out. “Do you usually buy coffee for people who stand you up?”

“Depends,” Dave said, immediately pulling out the little sugar packets and making a game out of stacking them, building a little sugar packet house. “Can these people make me laugh so hard alcohol comes out of my nose? 

“You have strange standards, but I am hilarious, so I’ll give you that.”

“Besides,” Dave said, handing a sugar packet to Klaus, inviting him to join in. “I had to apologize for making you think I’d stood you up.”

“And yet I’m the one who should be apologizing for actually, if unintentionally, standing you up,” Klaus said, gesturing with the packet before building onto Dave’s little house.

“So? Are you?”

“Am I what?

“Going to apologize.”

“Yeah, sure, I guess I should,” Klaus said, clearing his throat like he was about to give a speech, hand over his heart. “I’m so sorry for standing you up. And for depriving you of all of this.” He gestured to all of himself, winking yet again.

“I’m not sure how I survived,” Dave laughed. “But really, it’s cool. Who hasn’t gotten high and lost track of time before? But what about you? Do you usually go on dates after standing people up?”

“I mean, I did have fun last night, so—” Klaus admitted, because he couldn’t deny that he was a flake and, really, it was probably better that Dave knew that up front.

“I knew it,” Dave exclaimed, apparently missing the point, but Klaus wasn’t going to correct him if he wanted to take the ego boost and leave the rest on the table.

“Don’t get all full of yourself, every party I attend is a good one, so really you can only take half credit.”

“That’s more than enough for me.” 

“Hi, Dave,” the waitress said, coming over to their table. “The usual?”

“Yeah, two coffees this time, Cheryl. Thanks.” 

“You got it.”

“Come here often, then?” Klaus asked once the waitress left. 

“Well, my work is right across the street,” he said, gesturing to a construction yard they could see from their seats. “We’re almost done with this job, though, so it’ll be a bummer to find a new place that won’t kick me out for drinking endless free refills.”

“Pretty face like yours, I’m sure you’ll manage.”

And he actually blushed at that. It was adorable and he would have liked to dwell on it and tease him, but the waitress was back. Dave seemed a bit relieved at the distraction. 

“I got some fries for you both, on the house,” she said, setting it down in front of them. 

“Oh, wow, thank you,” Dave said, smiling at her. 

“I think she has a thing for you,” Klaus whispered across the table to him once they were alone again.

“She’s not really my type,” Dave chuckled. “And to be honest, she’s probably just glad I’m not here alone for a change. I think she was beginning to think I don’t have a social life”

“Well, either way, I’m completely happy to take advantage of your good fortune.”

“All jokes aside, thanks for getting coffee with me,” Dave said, holding his mug up like he was gonna toast him. 

“Yeah, apparently I should stand you up more often,” Klaus said with a whink, taking his own drink in hand.

“Or,” Dave said, drawing the word out like he was trying to get his courage up enough to actually finish the sentence. “You could find out how things go if you stick around.”

“Hmm,” Klaus said, acting like he was considering, like he hadn’t already made up his mind the moment he agreed to coffee. “Sure, I’d be willing to see how it goes”

“Are you going out again tonight? We can meet up at the same place. And hopefully we can avoid standing each other up this time.”

“Sure,” Klaus said. “So long as we can skip the preamble. Flirting across the dance floor was fun and all, but I’m pretty sure our night could be better spent.”

Last night, they’d continually gotten distracted from the main reason people usually meet up at clubs. While it had still been fun and another night of the same would have still been enjoyable, Klaus wanted to make sure there was no doubt where he’d like the night to end up even if it was obvious neither of them had a place they could go home to together. There were other ways to have a little fun, after all, and Klaus certainly wasn’t above back alley or bathroom escapades. 

He decided that the easiest way to get this across was to reach his foot out, running it along Dave’s ankle and up his calf. Dave’s eyes widened in surprise, but he grinned back, a blush creeping across his face, and attempted to surreptitiously reply in kind. Instead, he misjudged the distance and accidentally kicked his leg, causing Klaus to gasp mock-accusingly and kick back. 

From there, things quickly devolved into some sort of competitive game of footsy, the rules unclear. All Klaus knew was that it was taking everything they had to not laugh out loud and disturb the other tables. He wasn’t sure why things with Dave always turned out so ridiculous, but he was having more fun than he had in a long time so it wasn’t like he was going to complain. 

The game ended abruptly when Dave banged his knee on the table, nearly spilling their coffee. They both stopped, trying to look innocent, until they made eye contact and immediately descended into giggling, Dave rubbing his tender knee. They got a few glares, but really that only caused them to laugh more, leaning close together conspiratorially. 

-

When Dave eventually announced that he had to get to work, Klaus was once again struck by how easy it was to lose track of time when they were together. And it was strange how disappointed he felt as he headed down the sidewalk after saying his goodbyes. Then again, he’d gotten coffee and had eaten more than he usually did, so maybe that was the only reason he felt so reluctant. 

“So, you’re going out again tonight,” Ben said, clearly disappointed as he fell into step beside him. 

“I thought you said you liked the guy?” Klaus asked. 

“‘Like’ is a strong word. I’d like it more if you didn’t go to clubs at all.”

“Well, we both know that’s not gonna happen,” Klaus said, pulling out another cigarette and grinning at his brother. 

“You said you’d take me to that free art gallery,” Ben persisted. “We should go there instead.”

“Sorry, it’ll have to wait,” Klaus said and he really did feel a bit guilty for putting it off for so long. “I gotta resupply. We’ll go another day, okay? Now, help me figure out which dealer might actually give me an advance until I can get my hands on some cash.” 

Ben sighed heavily, but at least he didn’t disappear. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, I imagine Klaus has some fucked up views of consent given everything that he’s been through and this chapter touches on it briefly.

It was only by a few minutes, but Dave was still technically late which was enough to make Klaus wonder if he was being stood up after all. He’d deserve it, of course, but Dave hadn’t really seemed the type to ask him out only to get a little revenge. Especially after he spent what little cash he had to buy him coffee. It never hurt to be prepared so Klaus was going over his options in case he didn’t show when Dave slipped out of the crowd and dropped into the chair next to him, breathing heavily like he’d run all the way there. 

“I am so sorry I’m late,” he said, running his hand through missed curls.

Klaus was about to make some sort of joke, but he couldn’t help but notice the way he was carrying himself, favoring his left side even as he sat down. With his hand raised to mess with his hair, Klaus spotted the scratches and the horrible purpling bruise along the side of his hand, going up his wrist and only getting bigger as it disappeared under his sleeve.

“Oh shit, are you hurt?” Klaus said, impulsively reaching out to take his hand and tug his sleeve down. 

“It’s fine, it’s not that bad,” Dave said, quickly pulling his hand away, tugging the sleeve back down as if he was embarrassed about it. 

“Getting into fights, are we?” Klaus asked and he suddenly had the impulse to offer to help. He knew how to fight, of course he did, he’d trained to all through his childhood, but he hated it. Now, he did everything he could to avoid it. He rarely lifted a hand to defend himself, but he was willing to for someone like Dave. 

“No, no, nothing like that,” Dave said quickly, looking even more embarrassed. “I just messed up at work. I just got clumsy, knocked into a stack of bricks on a crane. It was stupid, but at least no one else was around to get hurt.” 

“You sure you’re okay? Maybe you should, I dunno, be resting or something,” Klaus said. It was a bit hypocritical of him of all people to be offering health advice, but he had to ask. Just because he himself was a wreck didn’t mean he wanted to encourage it in anyone else. 

“Nah,” Dave said with a heavy sigh. “Lost my job, but I’ll be fine otherwise.”

“Well, shit,” Klaus said. “I guess we’ll just have to go hard tonight, won’t we?”

“I like the sound of that,” Dave said, sitting up a bit straighter. 

“Hey, want to get out of here? I happen to know a bunch of college students throwing a rager right now. Should be a good time.”

“Let’s do it,” Dave said and, honestly, his excitement was adorable.

-

They were both clearly in their element here, laughing and joking with the other partygoers and just generally having a good time. The booze was flowing, drugs exchanged hands, and a bong was even being passed around and, really, it was just the perfect evening. 

Usually, Klaus would be all over the place, talking or dancing with anyone interested regardless of who he actually came with. But Dave was just so much fun, even if he hadn’t come with him he’d want to be around just to see what happened next. He wasn’t as loud and outgoing as Klaus, his humor was more subdued, knowing exactly what to say with perfect timing, so the two of them played off each other so well. And it certainly helped that Dave always gave him his complete attention and never once rolled his eyes at his antics. All in all, he couldn’t remember the last time he had enjoyed himself this much. 

But Dave was hitting it almost as hard as Klaus did when he didn’t particularly want to remember the night, which was impressive. Klaus wasn’t all that surprised when he slumped against him, completely wasted. Usually Klaus wouldn’t really consider it any of his business, but he did feel somewhat responsible for dragging him here in the first place, so he figured he should really do something. What was the world coming to if Klaus of all people had to step up and be the voice of reason? 

“Come on, I think you’ve had enough,” he said, tugging gently on his sleeve.

“Noooo,” he complained “But I was having fuuuun.”

“Then next time go a little easier, you might last longer.”

“I’m not usually this much of a lightweight,” he slurred. “Just been a while. 

“Oh don’t worry, you’re not,” Klaus laughed. “You were putting them away like a champ. Now, come with me and we’ll find you somewhere to sleep it off.”

“Oh, you’re coming too?” Dave said, visibly perking up. “Okay.”

“Well, that was easy,” Klaus said. He helped Dave to his feet and he fell against him, faces only inches apart. 

“Hi, handsome. Or do you prefer to be called pretty, too?”

“No one told me you were smooth as fuck when high,” Klaus chuckled. “But I’ll take any compliments you’re willing to give. Maybe even a few insults too.”

“I would never insult you,” Dave said, clearly horrified at the mere suggestion.

“Come on, let’s go,” Klaus shook his head, still smiling.

“Wow,” Dave said, realizing just how unsteady he was when he tried to follow his lead. “Last time I was this wasted, I somehow managed to get myself tangled in a swing set.”

“Well, this I gotta hear.”

“Promise you won't think less of me?” Dave asked with a laugh.

“Are you kidding?” Klaus said. “That story sounds downright wholesome compared to half of mine.”

“You haven’t even heard it yet,” Dave said.

“We’ll do a trade,” Klaus said. “You first.” 

-

Thankfully it didn’t take them long to find an empty bedroom, just long enough for Klaus to finish one of his stories. Dave was leaning against him even more heavily as they shuffled inside, closing the door behind them. He was laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes and Klaus was all too aware of his breath on his neck. When they reached the bed, Dave dropped down and sprawled out, trying to catch his breath, and Klaus sat next to him, glancing at the door as he considered his options.

“You goin’?” Dave asked and it was clear he was trying to hide his disappointment.

Klaus thought about all the people downstairs, once again dwelling on the potential of the evening, all the fun that could be had and the highs that could be obtained so he could stay just that little bit ahead of the ghosts. And then he looked back down at Dave, sweat making his hair stick to his forehead, looking so sweet and hopeful. And he realized he would rather be here. Even if that did mean his evening ended here. At least he’d already had a pretty good time. And there were enough drugs in his system to last the night, and maybe he could swipe some more in the morning on his way out. 

“Nah, I can hang out for a bit,” Klaus said, leaning against the headboard and swinging his legs up onto the bed, trying to appear casual, like it was no big deal. Dave looked much too happy as he got comfortable next to him, curling up a little. 

He knew there would be no drunken escapades despite his original plans for the evening, not when Dave was so out of it. And he didn’t want to leave him alone in a place like this. If it had just been Klaus, he wouldn’t have minded either way. He was often high out of his mind or unconscious in back rooms, it didn’t bother him. Couldn’t get taken advantage of if he’s up for anything. But he didn’t know Dave’s boundaries and he wasn’t about to step over them.

Besides, Dave hadn’t made any sort of move all night that would indicate he was interested in anything more. Even drunk, all he’d done was compliment him, and earlier he put his arm around his shoulders, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. Even now, he wasn’t exactly cuddling up against him. Klaus was used to people who couldn’t keep their hands off him, especially when drunk. Maybe Dave just liked his company, which he supposed was fine enough. He liked hanging out with Dave, too, and it would be easier without all the baggage involved once you start sleeping with someone. Why did everyone have to make it so complicated?

“I lied,” Dave said suddenly, drawing him out of his thoughts. “Well, misled, but it makes me feel just as bad.”

“Look, whatever it is, I’m sure it can wait until you come down a bit more,” Klaus said. Lies were practically nothing. Everyone lied. “You might regret it in the morning.”

“Nah,” Dave waved him off. “Been wanting to say all night. This was all my fault.” He raised his hand, tugging down his sleeve slightly to examine the injury. It looked worse than he thought, but at least the worst of it appeared to be bandaged properly. “It’s stupid. The jackhammer never bothered me before, I’m around it all the time. But it took me by surprise, I guess, and suddenly I was back in a foxhole under fire.”

“Ah,” Klaus said, piecing it together. “Military man, huh?”

“Worst fucking decision of my life,” Dave sighed, letting his arm drop to his side again. “But I had to get away from home. I thought I’d be better off. Obviously that turned out fuckin great.” He gestured to himself. 

“I’m pretty sure they can’t technically fire you for having a flashback or a panic attack or whatever,” Klaus said, but he knew it was rarely that simple.

“All they know is I messed up and could have hurt or killed someone. I’m just lucky I was the only one nearby.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know. I’m just so tired.”

“I know,” Klaus said because he definitely understood the feeling. “Go to sleep, maybe things will look better in the morning.”

It was a lie, one Klaus told himself often. But he hoped it would be true, for Dave at least. 


	4. Chapter 4

Klaus woke suddenly to the realization that there was a weight on his chest, pinning him down, and he had to take a moment to stop himself from panicking. Given some of the strange situations he’d woken up to in the past, he never knew what to expect. Carefully, he peaked an eye open, taking in his surroundings. When he realized that it was only Dave, half lying across his chest, and that they were still alone in some dorm room, he breathed an audible sigh of relief. 

It was more than just relief, though. Somehow, just knowing it was Dave here with him put him at ease. Not to mention this position they’d found themselves in was… oddly nice, actually. It was warm, the weight comforting rather than restricting now that he knew it wasn’t anything nefarious, and he was at the perfect angle to watch Dave’s peaceful expression, to take in the way the early morning light played across his sleep-mussed hair. He had the impulse to reach over and blush it out of his face but stopped himself.

What was he even doing? Usually, when it came to the people he associated with, he didn’t want to be around them sober, or he at least preferred to keep up appearances, keep their attention where he wanted it. More often than not, his impulse was to stumble out of bed and leave as quickly as possible.

But for some reason, here, his first thought was to settle in, let down his guard and relax for a change. It was all too casual, too friendly and he had to mentally shake himself, reminding himself to focus. It was morning which meant it was time for him to get out of there. Preferably before Dave woke up. Mornings could be awkward and it was better to avoid them entirely.

Carefully, he tried to slip out of bed, freezing when Dave made a quiet little sleepy noise in response. Klaus held his breath and waited, but thankfully he didn’t wake up. As Dave settled back down, he breathed a sigh of relief and continued his movement-- only to fall off the bed. He landed hard, sprawling on the carpet and staring up at the ceiling, wondering what his life was coming to. 

“Mmm?” came Dave’s sleepy and confused voice. He poked his head over the edge to peer down at him, eyes still heavy with sleep and probably a killer hangover. “What’re you doing down there?”

“Well, I thought I’d stretch out a bit, you know? Just getting comfortable,” Klaus said, doing just that, crossing his legs and folding his hands behind his head, as if relaxing. 

“Oh,” Dave said, then glanced over his shoulder at all the space on the bed behind him, his face turning red. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry, man. Did I push you off?”

“Psh, don’t worry about it,” Klaus said, climbing to his feet to stretch again. “I’ve had much worse injuries in the bedroom.” Apparently that was the wrong thing to say because Dave’s face squinted in concern, so Klaus quickly changed the subject. “How are you doing, anyway? You really hit it hard last night.“

Klaus poked him in the forehead for good measure, anything to get him to stop looking so concerned. Dave groaned in response, flopping back onto the bed, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes.

“Ugh, yeah, I feel like death,” Dave groaned. “You didn’t have to stick around last night. I’m sure I was awful company.”

“Are you kidding? And pass up an opportunity to sleep on this nice comfy bed?” Klaus said, because it was better than admitting that he really did want to stay. “Also, there’s a shower here. We should use it before the actual people who live here kick us out.”

“You go first,” Dave said, slithering back under the blankets. “I think I need a minute.”

So that was that. Klaus wasn’t really sure what he’d expected as the empty feeling settled heavily in his gut. A little fun in the shower even though Dave was miserably hung over? Or maybe he’d just wanted an excuse to stay a little longer, to live in this moment and the way it made him feel as if it actually meant something. And to have Dave want that too. But he didn’t. He had his own issues to sort out and all Klaus could do was make things worse. So, when they traded and Dave took his turn in the bathroom, Klaus took the opportunity to make a hasty retreat. 

He felt a bit guilty ditching Dave, but he knew he’d be fine. After all, there were plenty of other hung over partygoers still sleeping in various corners or blearily stumbling about trying to find their clothes, so it wasn’t like he’d stand out. This also meant there was plenty of opportunity for Klaus to snatch some drugs and cash on his way out. He only glanced back once as he headed out the door and down the street, wondering what might have been had he stayed. 


	5. Chapter 5

It was a lovely night and Klaus was enjoying a pleasant buzz as he wandered aimlessly down a back alley, basking in the silence he so rarely got to experience. He'd gotten enough money and drugs to keep a fairly consistent high since the party a few nights ago, but he was running low and it was about time for him to decide where to get more. He was contemplating a couple potential clubs that a few dealers he knew liked to frequent when he heard it.

"No, I said you can have some, not all of it."

Klaus came to a stop at the sound of the familiar voice, half-wondering if he had imagined it. He had been trying very hard not to think about that night when he'd seen Dave last and the complicated feelings it stirred in him, but had been failing the more sober he got. Maybe it was just a bizarre coincidence that he'd run into him now of all times. His life seemed to be made up of those, though, so he figured he might as well check it out.

"Here, just take a bite. No, a bite. Come on, there's no need to be difficult, we're sharing it, remember?"

As Klaus came around the corner into an adjoining alley, he found Dave kneeling next to a cat that seemed to be trying to swat a sandwich out of his hands, little paw batting at him despite his pleas. Somehow the image struck him as incredibly sweet.

"Dave?" Klaus called, unable to keep the amusement from his voice.

Dave looked up in surprise and the cat took advantage of the distraction, snatching the sandwich and making a run for it.

"Aw, man," Dave said, not even attempting to grab it back or give chase. Instead, he stood up and brushed himself off before turning to smile at him, looking as pleased as always to see him. "Hey, Klaus. How's it goin'?"

"Sorry about that," Klaus chuckled. "Didn't mean to give him an opportunity to rob you."

"Ah, it's fine," Dave said, waving a hand dismissively. "Let's face it, I was probably gonna give it all to him anyway."

"I hope you'd at least already eaten some," Klaus said.

"Ehh, maybe?" Dave said evasively before quickly trying to change the subject. "But it's been a while, how are you? How's life been treating you?"

"Oh, fantastic," Klaus said, waving a hand dismissively. "Hard to have a bad day when you look this good. What about you? You yell at your boss and get your job back yet?"

"Nah, I'm starting to think I just wasn't meant to have one," Dave said and he looked so dejected, kicking the toe of his shoe against the ground. "Maybe it's time I just focused on enjoying myself, you know?"

"That's the spirit," Klaus said, seizing onto that. He couldn't help, and he certainly couldn't give life advice. But distractions? Klaus was good at those. Maybe he could at least get him to smile again. "Come on, I know a place and I think we deserve to have a good time."

The club was packed, the music louder than Klaus usually liked it, but at least the drugs dulled everything to a more tolerable level. Unfortunately, the crowd and the noise made it hard for anyone to stick together and after a few hours of dancing and drinking, Klaus lost Dave in the sea of people.

By the end of the night, he still hadn't spotted him. At least he didn't need to worry about him. He hadn't been going at it like he had last time. Instead, he had taken it slower, making it last like a pro, and Klaus had to remind himself that Dave wasn't exactly new to this scene.

For some reason, it didn't feel right to go home with someone else when he'd come with Dave. He wasn't sure why, though. Chances were good Dave had already done just that hours ago. And it wasn't like he had any sort of obligation to Dave. Tonight there hadn't even really been any flirting, at least nothing overt or suggestive, and given how every encounter they'd had until now had ended without either of them making a move, he probably wasn't interested in him anymore, not like that anyway.

Not that Dave had ignored him or seemed more interested in anyone else, he was just as engaging and talkative as usual, all attention on Klaus until they'd gotten separated. He supposed it was nice that Dave at least seemed to still want to hang out, Klaus wasn't used to that. Everything was temporary, and someone still wanting to be around him without actually wanting anything from him was unusual to say the least.

Regardless, if Dave wasn't interested in getting with him, that was his loss. There were plenty of other people Klaus could have hooked up with to have a little fun, but he suddenly just wasn't in the mood. He was distracted and restless and none of his usual vices seemed appealing. He didn't know what any of this meant and he just tried not to think about it as he headed out into the night alone, feeling confused and unsure about his own feelings and actions.

"Okay," he said to the night sky, glimpsing the stars through the clouds. He didn't need to turn around to know Ben had silently fallen into step with him. "We can go to the museum tomorrow."

"Nice!"

Apparently Ben didn't feel the need to question why now. Maybe he didn't want to push his luck. Either way it was probably for the best. Klaus wasn't even really sure why he did anything, anymore. He needed a cigarette.


	6. Chapter 6

It wasn't that Klaus disliked art. He actually liked it quite a bit and sometimes wished he actually had the time or the means to properly practice himself. It was just that he didn't really get why looking at it hanging on a wall was any better than seeing it in a book or on a screen. That, and he was way too restless for a place like this, where everyone was so quiet, contemplating static images without even any music for background noise. There was just so much silence, if he didn't do something soon he was going to explode.

"This is so boring," he complained, leaning heavily against the wall next to the painting Ben was currently admiring. "Can't you go any faster?"

"Probably," Ben said, not even looking over at him. He didn't speed up.

Klaus was so tempted to cause a scene, anything to liven things up here, but he was supposed to be doing this for Ben, so instead he went on ahead, wandering around aimlessly, just trying to find something to hold his attention for more than a few minutes. Which was when he spotted a familiar face. Dave of all people was standing there, so focused on a large abstract painting that he hadn't noticed him yet and Klaus was suddenly gripped with the urge to sneak over and see if he could startle him.

"You should go talk to him," Ben said, suddenly at his side. "I know you're bored and I'd rather you didn't get us kicked out, I might want to come back here."

"You're not wrong," Klaus replied. "I was estimating maybe three more minutes before I completely lost it."

Klaus winked at him and caught Ben rolling his eyes and trying to hide a smirk as he headed over.

"Careful," Klaus said, smacking Dave's shoulder in a friendly manner. He had decided against tackling him and instead kept his voice quiet if only for Ben's sake. "If you stare at it any harder you might fall in."

"Klaus, hey, it's good to see you," Dave said and he really did seem to mean it. His entire demeanor changed and he brightened considerably. It threw Klaus off and he had to scramble to find his footing again.

"So, what have we got here?" Klaus asked, gesturing to the painting, for once wanting the attention off himself. "You seemed pretty caught up in it."

"Ah, yeah," Dave said a bit awkwardly. "Sometimes I just kinda like to live in whatever feeling a painting gives me, you know?"

"And what does this one have to say?"

"It makes me feel- some sort of intense longing, almost mournful," Dave said, voice wistful. "These lines here, they just look so decisive, so final."

"Yeah, I can see it," Ben said. Apparently he'd decided to stick around with them instead of going back to wandering on his own.

"You guys are such nerds," Klaus chuckled.

"'You guys?'" Dave asked in confusion.

"Sorry, just thinking of my brother," Klaus said, covering quickly. "He would have loved this."

"And you don't?" Dave asked.

"Nah, I do, it's just, if I feel it, I feel it. If I don't, I don't. Are you going to get all deep at all of them?"

"Maybe," Dave said with a grin.

"Okay, hot shot, then what's this one telling you?"

"That one? Oh, that one's just tacky."

Klaus choked, barely managing to stop himself from laughing out loud and disrupting the other patrons. "Okay, I like this game. What about sculptures? I've got a game I like to play called, 'Phallic or Yonic?'"

"Oh hell yeah, now we're talking."

It was the most fun Klaus had ever had at one of these overly stuffy places. It felt like sharing a secret, the two of them, three if you counted Ben who occasionally joined in when they weren't being too obnoxious, talking about the different pieces. They didn't get particularly deep, but that was fine, Klaus wouldn't even feel comfortable doing that with Ben. Still, he managed to glimpse Dave's softness alongside his humor.

Not that those were things he really tried to hide, he was just so open about everything and Klaus had to wonder if he was like this with everyone. It made him feel comfortable, though, which was something he wasn't used to feeling with anyone, really. It made it easy to have fun, to laugh, and to poke fun at each other in a way that wasn't cruel, that wasn't meant to leave a mark. Who would have thought he'd be able to have a nice day without getting absolutely hammered? Even Ben was smiling by the time they left.

"I missed you last night," Dave said suddenly as they walked down the street.

"Yeah?" Klaus said, glancing over at him, not really sure how to take that.

"I mean," Dave said with a bit of a laugh, running his hand through his hair. And was that a blush he could see? "I know we hung out for most of it, but once I lost sight of you, it wasn't nearly as fun. I headed out shortly after that."

"What can I say? Once you party with me, there's no going back," Klaus said, unsure why he felt so relieved knowing that Dave hadn't gone home with someone else.

"That's for sure," Dave said with a chuckle. "Hopefully I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, I'll look for you at the next party," Klaus said, and he really did mean it.


	7. Chapter 7

Klaus really should have seen this coming. He’d been swindling this guy for much longer than he should have, pushing his luck on someone with a temper and a posse. But he was just such an easy mark, it was hard not to. And it didn’t help that it was just fun ripping off assholes.

“Klaus!” the angry voice boomed down the alley.

Nope, Klaus was having none of that. He sprinted down the alley, not even really sure where he was going, just that it needed to be away from here. He turned a corner too quickly and ran directly into someone, the two of them sprawling to the ground. He scrambled to his feet, turning to give an apologetic word to the stranger before continuing his escape, but he was rooted to the spot in surprise when he realized it was Dave.

“Hargreeves!” the angry voice came again, this time much closer.

Dave, a bit slower to his feet and looking a bit stunned at the no doubt sudden change in tone his night was having, looked at Klaus, then down the alley where he had just come from, then back to Klaus. Klaus shrugged in a way that he hoped didn’t show how tense he was. _It was just an average Tuesday night for me, no need to worry!_

Without hesitating, Dave grabbed his hand and started sprinting away. Klaus knew they were headed for a dead end and nearly pulled free, but he trusted Dave. It was a wild thought, but he did. Thankfully, Dave seemed to know what he was doing.

He headed directly for a door half hidden behind some trash next to a dumpster. Thankfully, it could open enough for them to slip inside, hopefully leaving the outside looking as if it had been undisturbed. There was a 2x4 lying on the ground, perhaps left here the last time repairs had been attempted on the place, but Dave grabbed it and managed to wedge it under the handle of the door, jamming it in place.

As Dave turned to lead the way upstairs, Klaus felt suddenly disappointed that he didn’t take his hand again. He shut down that thought immediately and followed up a few flights of stairs out onto the roof of the building, overlooking the darkened city. It was peaceful up here, except for the yelling voices Klaus could still hear distantly below.

“So, you’re having an exciting night,” Dave chuckled, taking a seat and making himself comfortable.

“It’s not my fault they’re completely overreacting,” Klaus joked, dropping down next to him because it probably was going to be a while before they stopped looking for him. “I mean, he had so much tacky jewelry, you’d think he was just begging to be robbed.”

Dave laughed, shaking his head incredulously. “You should probably be a little more careful with who you con. Pick an easier target.”

“Well, that’s no fun,” Klaus replied. “But, in theory, if I were to consider it, who would you recommend? You?”

“Sure!” Dave said, much too enthusiastically. “Here, you can even have my second to last cigarette.” He pulled out a pack and handed one over. Sadly it was normal and store-bought, not one of the hand-rolled wonders that could contain any number of drugs. He still accepted it, who was he to turn down a free gift?

“What about your last one?” Klaus asked.

“Sorry, that one’s already spoken for,” Dave said, holding it up before bringing it to his own lips and lighting it.

“Oh, I see how it is,” Klaus chuckled.

“I’ll at least share this with you,” Dave said, pulling out a bag of peanuts and passing it over before reiterating. “Share. Those are my favorite and I was planning on enjoying them.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Klaus said, taking a handful and popping them into his mouth. Then, he pulled one out and held it up. “Here.” He tossed it and Dave caught it in his mouth.

“Nice,” Dave said, before holding one up to return the favor. “You’re turn.”

“So who told you about this place?” He wasn’t successful at catching it in his mouth and had to fumble to stop it from dropping on the ground. “I thought I knew all the best places.”

“A friend took me here once,” Dave said as they continued their game, throwing peanuts back and forth.

“Oh? I didn’t realize this was the current popular spot for people to go to get frisky.”

“No, it’s not like that,” Dave chuckled, shaking his head, throwing a peanut directly at him this time, before going back to gently tossing it in an arc so he could more easily catch it as if to apologize.

“Right, right, of course,” Klaus said. “Well, since we’re gonna be stuck up he for a bit--”

“We?” Dave echoed.

“Okay, fine,” Klaus said, rolling his eyes. “Since _I’m_ going to be stuck up here for a bit, and you seem determined to keep me company, tell me a bit about yourself. You from around here?”

“Nah, I moved here after I got back from my tour. I’m from Texas, originally.”

“Well, that’s quite the change.”

“Yeah, well, I figured I could use it. What about you? You from here?”

“Born and raised,” Klaus said. “I’m shocked you don’t already know that.”

“I got the feeling you were pretty popular around here, but I didn’t know you were famous too.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Klaus said. It was kind of nice, talking to someone who didn’t know he was the Seance, so he didn’t particularly want to continue that conversation and jog his memory. “You know, we’ve really gotta stop running into each other like this. This city isn’t small, and yet we keep bumping into each other.”

“Maybe it’s because I was just thinking about how fun it would be to have a little adventure,” Dave said.

“There has to be better ways to get your kicks, my man,” Klaus said, eating another handful of nuts before tossing one to Dave again.

“I suppose hanging out on a rooftop isn’t exactly the most exciting thing in the world,” Dave said. “What would you recommend?”

“I think we can probably sneak away, now, so come with me,” Klaus said, jumping to his feet. “It’s time to tour the town, see the sights, and all that.”

“Oh, cool, I never did get a proper tour when I arrived,” Dave said, eagerly standing as well.

“Happy to oblige. What better way to thank you for getting me out of a tight spot?”

“Of course, what are friends for?”

What were friends for? Klaus certainly didn’t know, he’d never had one before. But for some reason, he still liked the thought.

-

They were running, out of breath but both still laughing anyway, and Klaus was fairly sure he’d never heard a sound he liked more. Dave’s was infectious and while he’d been laughing at their antics before, he was definitely joining in on the pure joy Dave seemed to be having. They rounded a corner and ducked into an alley to rest and Dave leaned into him as he continued to giggle.

“Think we lost ‘em?” he managed as he finally started to catch his breath.

“Yeah, yeah, I don’t see anyone,” Klaus said, glancing around the corner as he tried to get his own breathing and giggling under control.

He was all too aware of how close Dave was when he turned back, feeling his hands against him, realizing his own arm was wrapped around Dave, shoulders. Their eyes met and Klaus lost his breath a little all over again. And then Dave burst out laughing again and that had them both doubled over, giggling like they were kids again.

“I can’t believe you splashed him,” Dave said.

“I had to do something to distract him,” Klaus said. “He had the handcuffs ready and you kept slipping!”

“Hey, fountains are surprisingly gross and slimy,” Dave said.

“Then why’d you dare me to go in in the first place?” Klaus asked. “And why did you then join me?”

“I didn’t dare you, you asked if I would and then immediately jumped in before I could say anything. Joining you seemed like the least I could do,” Dave said. He sighed heavily and stretched his arms above his head. “Aah, it's been a while since I ran from the cops. Feels good.”

“Well, then, you’ll just have to hang out with me more,” Klaus said with a wink. “I get chased almost every other night.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Dave said, shaking his head, but he was smiling. “Thanks. This has been the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

“Don’t worry,” Klaus said, smacking his shoulder. “Next time we hang out we’ll do something even more wild.

“I’ll hold you to it.”

“I guess we better clear out now though,” Klaus said, reluctantly stepping away. “Not sure if this guy’s got a vendetta, he might still be trying to find us.”

“Yeah, guess so,” Dave said, and it should be illegal to look that disappointed. “See you around.”

“You know it,” Klaus replied as he disappeared into the night.

Unfortunately, things rarely go as planned. They hung out a few more times after that, but then Klaus got arrested. Rehab was a better sentence than jail time, but thirty days had never felt so long. He didn’t know he could still miss people. But mostly he missed the drugs.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for this chapter: overdoses, nonconsensual drug use, references to sexual assault. This chapter deals with some pretty heavy topics and Klaus is not a reliable narrator and does his best not to care what happens to him. I tried to handle it all respectfully to avoid getting across the wrong message, but I’m open to constructive criticism if anyone has any.

“You don’t have to do this, Klaus,” Ben said half heartedly, like he knew there was no chance he’d listen.

“What are you talking about, dear brother of mine?” Klaus said, glancing back at him as he made his way down the dark empty streets. “This is all I do, right? Fuck everyone over just to have a good time?”

“You know that’s not really what Vanya meant,” Ben said, but he didn’t sound so sure.

“Come on, Ben,” Klaus said. “You know this is what I’m best at, it’s where I’m meant to be, just accept it. I certainly have!” 

Vanya’s book. It came out while Klaus was in rehab. Thankfully he’d been able to get his hands on a copy so he could read what the world was learning about him and their family. He supposed he couldn’t blame her for it, dear old dad fucked them all over; good for her, finding a way to get back at him. 

And she’d been right about him, too. He was selfish and cruel, attention seeking and destructive to everyone around him. That’s why he was here, completely alone and living on the streets, after all; why he’d been headed for this life since he was twelve years old at least, probably younger. This was what he deserved, where he belonged. 

All he’d ever wanted was to have a good time and leave any hurt far behind, no matter the cost to anyone else. Why fight it when this was who he would always be, deep down? It was why he’d gone out and gotten high the moment he’d gotten out of rehab. Now, he just needed to find someone willing to buy him a drink or five. Time to ascend into oblivion because fuck everyone else, right? 

He wasn’t sure when Ben disappeared, but by the time he reached the bar, he was alone.

It took him no time at all to find a group of guys willing to buy him drinks. He even kindly offered to pick up the next round from the bar. See? He could be nice every once in a while. He grabbed one as the bartender filled up a tray for him, but he almost spit it out when he heard a familiar voice.

“Klaus?” Dave was there, heading over to him, and he had a huge smile on his face. “Hey, it’s so good to see you. I hadn’t seen you in a while, I was a bit worried.”

“Yeah, no, all good,” Klaus said. He was suddenly hit with how much he’d missed him, but this was the last thing he needed right now. “You know how it is. Got arrested for trying to steal snacks from a convenience store, got sent to rehab, the usual.”

“Oh!” Dave said in surprise. “Does that mean you’re--”

“Sober?” Klaus laughed. “Christ, no. I hit the town the moment I got out. How could I give up all of this?” he gestured with the drink in his hand, encompassing the entire room and beyond.

“You sure you’re doing okay?” Dave asked, because of course he did. He always was much too perceptive. 

“Are you kidding? Look at me. Never better,” Klaus exclaimed, smacking his shoulder. “In fact, I’ve already got a prior engagement I really should get back to.”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Dave said, glancing at the tray the bartender had just finished filling. “I’ll let you get back to it, then. Hit me up some time. It was really great seeing you. Glad to have you back.”

It was much too tempting to abandon his plans and follow Dave instead. But he needed to get wasted until he forgot his own name, with people who didn’t know or care about him. He needed the danger and the excitement, and he needed to be selfish. He deserved this sort of happiness. Or, well, numbness. The closest he ever really got. He’d almost forgotten, hanging out with Dave so much, but this was where he belonged. It was better alone, his only responsibility was to himself. 

Things never seemed to work out for him, thought, so of course he realized too late that one of the guys had spiked his drink. Usually, he wouldn’t really care. He’d downed spiked drinks before when he was low on drugs and desperate enough for anything that might chase the ghosts away, but he’d already taken too much. He was tempted to ignore it, it didn’t really matter what happened after all, but somehow he found himself seeking out Dave instead.

“Dave! Hey, buddy, old pal,” Klaus slurred, stumbling into him on the dance floor.

“Klaus,” Dave exclaimed, but his smile immediately turned to concern as he reached out to steady him. “Are you okay?”

“Psh, yeah, totally,” Klaus said, waving a hand dismissively even as he swayed on his feet. “I was hoping to ask a teensy favor of you, is all.”

“Of course, anything,” Dave said much too readily, his hand on his arm comforting and Klaus couldn’t help but lean into it. But that was probably just because he was really drunk.

“Well, you see, it’s actually a pretty funny story,” Klaus forced a laugh. “I was having a drink with those guys over in the corner there. You see them? Nevermind, it doesn’t matter. But I’m pretty sure they slipped me something.”

“They what?” Dave demanded and Klaus could hear the anger in his voice.

“No, no, it’s totally cool, really,” Klaus hurried to reassure him, unsure why he looked so grim. “Normally it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but considering everything else I’ve taken tonight, I am just a little bit worried about what sort of reaction it might have.”

“What else did you take?” Dave asked urgently. Klaus’ vision was already blurring, his attention wavering, and Dave put a hand on his shoulder to try to get him to focus again. “Klaus? What did you take?”

“I wish I knew,” Klaus laughed. “So, anyway, if you could just call me an ambulance, or something, that’d be great.”

“Yeah, come on, let’s get you out of here,” Dave said, putting his arm around his waists to support him as they made their way to the exit.

“This is nice,” Klaus said, probably leaning a little too heavily against him, letting him practically carry him along. His limbs were just suddenly so heavy. “We should do this more often.”

But Dave didn’t say anything, he didn’t even joke back. He seemed too focused on moving forward, getting through the crowd. As they pushed through the back doors into the night, he was about to get his attention, to try to lighten the mood or at least get Dave to stop looking so serious, but suddenly Ben was at his side.

“Klaus,” he said urgently. “Klaus, they’re coming.”

“Who?” Klaus asked, before realization hit him. “Oh, shit, look out behind—”

He was cut off before he could finish his warning to Dave. They must have been hit from behind, because Klaus fell heavily to the ground and he had a dazed moment where all he could think about was how nice the cool pavement felt against his cheek. And then everything went dark.

* * *

Klaus woke with a pounding headache and a pain in his gut. He groaned and brought a hand up to press against his forehead as if that might keep his brain from breaking out of his skull.

“Musta been a wild night, huh, Ben?” Klaus said into the silence.

“Klaus?”

But that wasn’t Ben’s voice. And now that he was paying attention, there was an irritating beeping coming from nearby. A heart monitor. He forced his eyes open and looked around the room in confusion. He was in a hospital, and that alone would have been enough to make him feel sick with dread, but then he spotted Dave sitting in a chair next to his bed. He looked absolutely exhausted and had a black eye and a bloody lip.

“Damn,” Klaus said. “What the hell happened to you?” 

“You’re the one in the hospital bed,” Dave chuckled, but it sounded fragile, like he was barely keeping it together.

“Those guys who drugged you,” Ben said, suddenly standing behind Dave. “They jumped him when he tried to get you out of there.”

“Shit,” Klaus said, scrubbing his hands over his face. “You weren’t supposed to get involved.”

“Of course I’m gonna get involved,” Dave said and there was a little too much passion behind his words. “How are you feeling?”

“Oh, fine. Yeah, great,” Klaus said quickly.

“Do you want to talk about what happened?”

“Oh, yeah, sure. I definitely owe you one. If you want, I could--”

“That’s not what I meant,” Dave interrupted. “I didn’t help you because I wanted you to owe me. I’m just worried about you. You acted like it was no big deal that those guys drugged you. Does this sort of thing happen often?”

“Um,” Klaus said, glanced around the room as if it might hold the answer to what he was supposed to say. He even glanced to Ben who was no help as usual. He just couldn’t figure Dave out so he didn’t know what answer he was looking for. It was so much easier with Diego to find the right words to get him off his back, make him uncomfortable, but with Dave, he just didn’t know what to expect. He always seemed to be able to sidestep his distractions and see through his dismissiveness. 

“Look,” Dave said when it was clear he was struggling to reply. “It’s fine, you don’t have to talk about it, but you shouldn’t have to go through that, either.”

“It’s no big deal,” Klaus groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. 

“Yes, it is,” Dave persisted. “I know it’s a dangerous world out there, but you don’t have to do this alone. If you want a wing man, or something, you can let me know. Like tonight. We go to a lot of the same parties anyway. Let me help you.”

He wanted to point out that he’d planned on going home with those guys anyway, that they didn’t need to drug him. He wasn’t even really sure why he’d gone to Dave in the first place. He’d made worse decisions in the past, after all. He wasn’t an idiot, he knew how to survive on the streets, but he also didn’t care about consequences. This was what he did with his life, how little disregard he had for his own wellbeing. He was a coward and a disappointment and Dave really should have seen that by now. 

And yet he was still here, still trying to help him for some reason. And suddenly Klaus was just too tired to push the issue. He didn’t want to admit all that to Dave, to see him look at him with disappointment like everyone else. This was the life he was meant to live, but he didn’t want that for Dave. He didn’t want to hurt him of all people. He wished he knew why Dave was different, why he cared. Or how long that would last. 

“You’re making yourself such an easy mark, you know that?” Klaus said, because, as usual, joking was so much easier.

“Only for you, babe,” Dave said and, fuck, did he have any idea what that smile did to him?

He didn’t know how to deal with this. He didn’t know how to deal with any of it. This man was too good, too kind. He shouldn’t have to put up with someone like Klaus. And to top it all off, Dave even helped him sneak out of the hospital. 


	9. Chapter 9

Klaus shifted, making himself comfortable in the old shopping cart. He felt lucky for finding one abandoned out here in this back alley. He wanted to close his eyes and rest a bit, but there were memories and nightmares waiting for him that he didn’t want to relive, so instead he popped another pill and lit a joint for good measure, watching the smoke curl up into the dark sky. He was just so tired. Why did everything have to be so difficult? 

“What’s been up with you lately?” Ben asked, looking down at him from a fire escape he was sitting on.

“Shhh, Ben, it’s quiet time,” Klaus said, closing his eyes. 

“It’s just,” Ben continued anyway. “You haven’t been going to any of the sketchier bars or clubs like you usually do.” 

“Just haven’t been in the mood,” Klaus said airily. “Why, are you complaining?”

“Of course not, it means you’ve been bored enough to take all my suggestions for things to do. You even went to that movie I've been wanting to see.”

“What can I say? I was craving popcorn and it’s so easy to steal there,” Klaus said, hoping he’d give up soon. 

“If you’re trying to get sober—”

“Yeah,” Klaus laughed out loud, interrupting him. “No way that’s gonna happen. 

“I’m serious, Klaus,” Ben persisted, a little overeager. “This is really good!”

“Oh my god, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Klaus groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. “Just because I haven’t been in the mood to get absolutely wrecked, doesn’t mean I’m gonna ‘change my ways,’ or whatever. Quite the opposite. In fact, I might be feeling a bender coming on now.”

Ben’s expression didn’t look convinced and that alone made Klaus want to go out and take every drug he could get his hands on because, really, Ben should know better by now than to hold out on that kind of hope. Why was he still on his case about this when he saw firsthand what being sober did to him? 

“Does this have anything to do with that Dave guy you got beat up a few days ago?” Ben suddenly asked. 

“No,” Klaus said pointedly, probably too quickly. That was one of the things he was trying so hard not to think about. He still didn’t understand why Dave bothered after he’d seen how he lived his life. But it made it harder to want to indulge in his regular recklessness, especially since there hadn’t been any expectation for him to get clean like there was with anyone else he’d ever had that sort of conversation with. Maybe that could still happen, but Dave did drugs too, so Klaus really had no idea what to think. He just didn’t understand Dave. 

“Whatever,” Ben said. “If it’s brooding hours, I’m gonna go. At least you’ve been more fun lately.”

“You take that back, I’m always fun,” Klaus joked, cracking one eye open to grin at Ben, who shook his head, but was smiling too as he disappeared. 

Klaus leaned back in the grocery cart, breathing a heavy sigh as he closed his eyes again, settling in. He wasn’t sure how much time had gone by when he heard a group passing down the street. He must have been higher than he realized, though, because he thought he heard Dave’s voice among them. 

“You guys go on ahead, I’ll catch up.” 

He hadn’t realized he’d had the guy on his mind so much. He took a long drag of the joint as he heard footsteps approaching, trying to just enjoy the high before he was interrupted, feeling the cool night air on his face. He wondered what it was going to be this time. A cop? A mugging or a hate crime? Did he get a prize if he guessed right?

“Well, you look comfy.”

Klaus opened his eyes and had to do a double take when he saw that it really was Dave standing there, big smile on his face. Thankfully the split lip and black eye were beginning to heal. 

“Sorry about that, didn’t mean to startle you,” Dave chuckled, leaning on the edge of the cart. 

“Hey,” Klaus said, offering him his joint. “What are you up to?”

“Just seeing what parties are out and about,” Dave said, taking a drag before passing it back. 

“Anything good?”

“Nah, not really. What about you?”

“Making my own party,” Klaus said, gesturing to the cart as if it were obvious. 

“Sweet, any chance I can get past the bouncer?” Dave asked and Klaus couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Yeah, I might be able to swing that,” Klaus said. “But you gotta push me.”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Dave said, moving to stand on the bar on the back, using one foot to push it along.

“Oh, hell yeah, it’s definitely a party, now,” Klaus said, sitting up to get a better grip, legs still hanging over the front. 

Dave brought them to a sudden stop when they passed a skate park, the two of them turning to each other. 

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Dave asked. 

“You better be ‘cause I need to do this immediately!” Klaus exclaimed. 

“Uh, you’re not talking about needing to pee, are you?”

“No!”

“Okay, good!” Dave broke into a run, speeding towards the nearest ramp. 

It didn’t take long at all for Dave to lose his footing and nearly faceplant on the pavement, leaving Klaus to careen along, cheering at the top of his lungs, wind in his hair, until it reached the peak of the ramp and tipped to the side, spilling Klaus onto the ground. Thankfully, besides some scraped up elbows and knees, he wasn’t hurt. Dave sprinted over and dropped to his knees at his side, but as soon as he realized that he was more or less unhurt, he collapsed to the ground beside him, the two of them giggling. 

“Next time, we should do that sober, we might last longer” Dave said. “And you should push me.”

“Sounds like taking some of the fun out of it,” Klaus said. “But fine. Then we can take turns nearly killing each other.” As if Klaus ever did anything sober.

“Sounds like the perfect evening to me,” Dave said with a heavy sigh as he caught his breath. After a moment, he rummaged around in his coat and pulled out a joint and lit it. He took a drag before bumping Klaus’ arm, offering it up. “So, how’ve you been?” 

“Fantastic,” Klaus said, accepting the joint eagerly.

“That bad, huh?”

“Nah, it’s been great, really.” Klaus said, waving a hand dismissively before passing the joint back. “What about you? Your face looks better. Sorry you're not gonna get a badass scar though.”

“Aw, maybe next time,” Dave laughed. 

“Really?” Klaus asked skeptically. “Do you actually want a scar? Because I can definitely help with that.”

“What? You can respond with deflective humor and I can’t?” Dave asked innocently.

“And here I was trying to be all sincere and apologize,” Klaus said, snatching the joint back, turning his eyes back to the sky above them because it was easier than looking at Dave. “I don’t even know why I went looking for you that night.” He hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but he supposed curiosity got the better of him. 

“I’m glad you did. I already told you, you don’t have to apologize,” Dave said. “I’d rather get into a little fight if it means I can help out a friend.”

“Ugh, were you always this sappy?” Klaus groaned, because he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel about that. He wasn’t supposed to have friends. Acquaintances, sure, people he could party with, but they weren’t meant to stick around. Klaus wasn’t meant to stick around. So why was he still here?

“Yes,” Dave said with a giant shit eating grin that showed no shame whatsoever. “So, are you gonna tell me what’s been bothering you? I guess we can dance around it instead, but I have to warn you, I can be very annoying.” 

“Can be?” Klaus asked, shooting him a look.

“Okay, I  _ am _ very annoying,” Dave chuckled, but then, like the considerate bastard he was, he hurried to add, “Unless you genuinely don’t want to talk about it. Boundaries, and all that.”

He glanced at Dave again, at his too-blue eyes that were always so sincere and soft, and he had to look away again, turning his gaze up to the harsh streetlights and the millions of stars staring through him. He sighed. Why the fuck not? Why not just jump in and share all the crazy bullshit that was his life? It wasn’t like any of this really mattered. 

And besides, Dave was bound to find out sooner or later. Honestly, he was surprised he hadn’t heard the gossip yet. Or he had but wanted to see him squirm instead. No, that wasn’t like Dave. Klaus just wanted everything to go back to normal so he could stop  _ feeling _ so much all the time. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

“My sister wrote a book about the fam,” Klaus said, taking another long drag of the joint before passing it back, watching the smoke swirl above him as he exhaled into the night. “I’m impressed, really. Didn’t know she had it in her. And dear old Daddy was a bastard, someone needed to knock him down a peg or two.”

“Do you and your sister get along?” Dave asked.

Klaus couldn’t help but laugh which he supposed was answer enough. 

“Then I’m guessing her portrayal of you wasn’t exactly positive,” Dave said, voice sympathetic and Klaus hated how serious all of this had gotten. 

“Bingo, right on the money. But, I mean, look at me. It’s not like there’s much good to say, either. I’m just mad she told the world I was the one who dyed my brother’s mask pink. That was supposed to be our little secret.”

“That’s not true, you— wait, what do you mean ‘mask?’” Dave asked, distracted as Klaus hoped he would be. 

“Well, yeah. Any good child superhero has to wear a mask.” 

“Child superhero?” Dave exclaimed, choking on smoke as he sat up to stare at him. 

“What, did you seriously not put it together?” Klaus asked, finally turning to grin at him, crossing his arms behind his head, getting comfortable. 

“Put what together? I am so incredibly lost. What are you talking about?”

“Really?” Klaus said, holding up his hands for him to see. “Klaus Hargreeves? Ouija board inspired tattoos on my hands, umbrella tattoo on my wrist; you really have no clue who I am?” 

He’d honestly thought Dave would have at least suspected by now, but it had been too nice pretending someone didn’t know his past, that he could want to get to know him for him and not the fame. Maybe Dave truly didn’t know, though, as surprising as that would be. He regretted losing that, but honestly it was worth it to see Dave’s baffled expression as he tried to piece it all together. 

“I don’t—“ Dave began, but then the realization seemed to hit him. “Wait, you’re-- what was it?-- the Seance!” 

“Now he gets it,” Klaus chuckled, snagging the joint from Dave’s unresisting hand. “I seriously can’t believe you didn’t put it together sooner.”

“I’m sorry, I just haven’t thought about the Umbrella Academy in years,” Dave said, looking as if his world had just changed completely. Klaus didn’t like it. “It didn’t really occur to me how fucked up it must have been until I was older.”

“Nah, it was all sunshine and roses,” Klaus said. “Just read Vanya’s book for proof.”

“Or you could fill me in,” Dave said, and Klaus had to turn to look at him, surprised. “I don’t really like hearing things second-hand, especially from someone you weren’t even that close to.”

“I am not one to share my secrets,” Klaus said. “And I said she got it pretty much right.” 

He wasn’t really sure why he was trying to talk Dave into reading it. Maybe it would just make things easier. Especially because there were some things he didn’t want to share with him directly. It would be easier if Dave just stopped hanging around him so he didn’t have to see the exact moment he stopped being able to look him in the eye.

“I think I’m good,” Dave said. “We all got fucked up one way or another as kids. Some worse than others. We’re all just trying to get through life as best we can. You should be able to keep those secrets.”

“Your loss,” Klaus shrugged, not really sure why his throat was suddenly tight, even though the idea that he should have any privacy made him want to laugh. “It might explain some things.”

It shouldn’t matter what Dave did. He could be lying now and was going to look up the book the moment they went their separate ways. And even if he didn’t, if he was telling the truth, it shouldn’t mean anything to Klaus. He was already used to strangers who knew too much about him, people who only thought of him as Number Four and just wanted the bragging rights of being able to claim they knew him. He wondered how things were going to change now between the two of them. 

“I’m not sure anything could explain you,” Dave laughed, and it was strange, it was almost like he was joking to deflect  _ for _ Klaus. 

“I’m going to pretend that was a compliment,” Klaus sniffed indignantly, barely managing to hide his grin, all too willing and relieved for the change in subject. 

“I meant it as one, I swear,” Dave said. “I never know what to expect with you, but I’m having a great time trying to figure you out.”

“What’s to figure out?” Klaus asked, striking a pose. “I’m just a fabulous dumpster fire.”

“Pretend all you like, that doesn’t change how great you are.”

Klaus couldn’t help but stare at him, taken aback. He wasn’t really used to genuine compliments. Sure, he’d had people find him attractive and he knew the things he was good at and how to use them to impress or gain the upper hand, but he wasn’t used to this. He wasn’t used to anything even close to this without some sort of ulterior motive. 

He had to put up with all sorts of unsavory types in order to get by, living on the streets. Then again, he’d done his own fair share of lying and stealing, so maybe he deserves to be among them. There wasn’t much he was proud of himself for, but then pride was the first thing to go if you wanted to last out here. Maybe Dave had just forgotten, he had been gone for a month, after all. That didn’t stop Klaus from wanting to be selfish, so he didn’t remind him. 

“Well, that’s enough of that,” Klaus said, jumping to his feet, because as much as he liked being the center of attention, he wasn't sure how he felt about all this. Besides, being fun was what he was good at, so he might as well play to his strengths. Keep Dave from realizing the truth just a little bit longer. “Come on, then. The night is young and we’ve got havoc to cause.” 

He threw his arm across Dave’s shoulders as he stood to join him, tightening his grip briefly as if threatening to put him in a headlock. Dave did the same and suddenly they were in a playful scuffle as they headed off into the night. 


	10. Chapter 10

"Oh no," Dave said with dread in his voice, walking beside him. "When you said you knew a place we could sit and chill, I didn't know you meant here."

"Why, what's wrong with it?" Klaus asked, hopping up onto one of the swings on the empty playground.

He was standing on it, using his body weight to swing back and forth and gain momentum. He watched as Dave walked over to one of the other swings and glared down at it.

"My nemesis," Dave muttered before turning his back on it like it wasn't worth his time and moving to take the swing next to Klaus.

"Is that the swing that kicked your ass?" Klaus asked, surprised he remembered something from the second night they'd hung out. Normally he did his best not to remember anything about anyone. "Oh, no, you don't, you gotta face your fears. Get back on there and show it what's up."

"What's up will not be me," Dave said, tentatively returning to it and carefully, slowly, sat down.

"There, see? You did it."

He started to swing back and forth, but was incredibly tense. Klaus couldn't help but laugh at him as he himself started going higher. Eventually, Dave seemed to take courage and relax, eventually swinging to match.

"So," Dave said eventually. "Ghosts. Do you really see them?"

"Man, way to bring down the mood," Klaus said, but he was in a good mood and incredibly high so he decided to indulge him. Everyone always asked eventually, so might as well get all the burning questions out of the way now. "Only when I'm sober. How fucked up is that? Usually it's the other way around."

"Wait, really? It, like, blocks them out or something?"

"You bet, baby," Klaus exclaimed. "Finally, some peace and quiet. I'm the only one yelling now!"

He wasn't even really sure why he was being so honest. He almost never was, so why now? Apparently he told Dave a lot of things he'd never tell anyone. But he didn't want to think about the why right now.

"Does that mean seeing them is bad?" Dave asked. "What's it like?"

"You ever have someone missing a good portion of their face beg you to save them even though you have no way of doing so?" Klaus asked, because he was feeling spiteful.

Not towards Dave, of course. He didn't know, he didn't mean anything by it. But towards his abilities, towards all of the endless questions Klaus could never answer because even he didn't really know how his abilities worked. And especially towards the judgement at his failure to even face the ghosts, because surely Dave would get, now, why he was living this life.

Dave was quiet for a long moment and Klaus couldn't help the smugness he felt for having managed to stop the questions so thoroughly. But then he finally did answer and the response was so serious and sad it took him by surprise.

"Yes."

"Oh."

Klaus hadn't meant for things to take such a grim turn, but it occurred to him too late that Dave might be the closest out of everyone to know what it was like for him. Sure, the corpses on the battlefield probably didn't get up and scream at Dave the way they did for him, but there was still the dead and the dying as well as the fear and the helplessness.

Not that that mattered. It wasn't like the knowledge could help either of them in any way. In fact, it was probably worse. Maybe it would just give even more reason for Dave to judge him. He hadn't run away from his own ghosts, after all.

"Is that what it's like for you? All the time?" Dave asked, but he must have gotten the answer from his expression alone because he continued almost immediately. "Come on, I have an idea."

"What kind of an idea?" Klaus asked skeptically. He dropped down so he was sitting on the swing normally.

"Well, you've been showing me all these great places around town, I think it's time I return the favor."

"Oh?" Klaus said, hopping down and Dave did the same. "You intrigue me, Katz."

"It's not exactly a secret, you've probably been plenty of times, but at least it'll be my treat."

It turned out to be an amusement park, one Klaus had been to a few times, but he wasn't opposed to going again. It wasn't particularly big, but this late there weren't many people to wait behind so they could ride whatever they wanted. And sometimes the bored and exhausted workers would let them on for free just for something to do. The teacups were particularly fun, even if they got yelled at for testing the limits of how quickly it could spin.

The best way to enjoy a good Ferris wheel was to be high as a kite, but Klaus was beginning to come down as it slowly went around. It also made him aware of how tired he suddenly was, especially after all the running around and yelling they'd been doing. He didn't mean to slump over and rest his head on Dave's shoulder, but once he was there he was too comfortable to move. Besides, it wasn't like Dave was complaining.

"I thought about suggesting the haunted house, but thought it was a little on the nose," Dave said and Klaus couldn't help but laugh.

"What about the mirror maze?" Klaus suggested. "I'm sure getting lost in there while high wouldn't be a disaster that ended horribly."

"Yeah, we should do that only if you want to stumble across me crying in a corner wondering why there are so many of me."

"Really?" Klaus asked. "Because there being more of me is, really, best case scenario in my book."

"Okay," Dave laughed. "As long as you don't abandon me in there. How much do you think we're going to regret this?"

"Either it'll be fun, or we'll both end up lost and crying," Klaus joked. "Either way it'll be quite a trip."

"Hey," Dave said. "Thanks for coming with."

"Yes, it was such a burden," Klaus said, in exaggeration, because thanking him for not bombarding him with more questions about ghosts felt too heavy on his tongue.

"However will I repay you?" Dave said, equally exaggerating his words.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure we'll come up with something."

He couldn't help it. Flirting just came too naturally, especially with Dave, and he couldn't deny that original interest was definitely still there. Thankfully, Dave played along, because suddenly Klaus was struck with how devastating it would be if he lost this friendship. He popped a pill. Those were thoughts he wasn't exactly interested in indulging right now. He was supposed to be on his own. He wasn't supposed to care about anyone else.

What was he doing? What had he gotten himself into?


	11. Chapter 11

Klaus staggered out of the front door, propelled by a push he felt was completely unnecessary. At least he didn't faceplant in a pile of garbage or something.

"Fine," he yelled back over his shoulder as the door slammed closed behind him. "I've got plenty of other options, anyway."

Except he didn't. He tried not to think about that as he brushed himself off indignantly, straightening his jacket. The weather was getting colder which, of course, meant that all of the shelters were filling up fast. This one had a few vacancies since most people didn't want to deal with the assholes who worked there, but now that he'd mouthed off and blown it, he was out of last resorts and the sun was setting fast.

He could always go to a club and see if he could pick someone up, but he didn't really feel like it. For some reason, it just felt like too much work. He shoved his hands into his pockets and decided to wander around a bit until he could figure something out.

"Hey, Klaus!"

The voice took him by surprise and he had barely turned around when Dave half tackled him, arm across his shoulders, playfully tousling his hair.

"Jesus, Dave," Klaus exclaimed, trying to regain his balance.

"Hey, pal, how's it going?" Dave asked, cheerily. "You heading inside?" He gestured towards the door of the shenter, the one that had, only moments before, been slammed in his face.

"Nah," Klaus said, waving a hand dismissively. "Apparently they don't, 'take my kind,' or whatever.

"What?" Dave said, concerned.

"I mean, look at me," Klaus said with a grin.

Dave stepped back and looked him up and down thoughtfully, which made Klaus laugh. "Hmm, too stylish?"

"And I'm, like, super high right now," Klaus grinned. "But, really, they seemed to have a bigger problem with the fact that I'm queer. Apparently they don't want someone like me in their 'nice Christian establishment.'"

"Well," Dave said, shooting a glare towards the entrance. "I better take my gay Jewish ass elsewhere, then."

"Oh, come on, you should stay," Klaus tried to reassure. People in their situation couldn't really afford to be picky. Or have dignity. "Stick it to them by enjoying one of their beds."

"What about you?" Dave asked.

"Don't worry, I know a place," Klaus lied, trying to brush him off.

"Then I'll come with," Dave said. "Two can get through a cold night better than one, and I'm sure someone else would appreciate having a bed. Besides, I'd rather have your company than theirs."

"Seems like a waste, but fine, suit yourself," Klaus shrugged. He couldn't deny the company would be nice. "To be completely honest, though, I don't actually have a place in mind."

"Thought so," Dave said with a knowing grin.

"Well, look at you, Mr. Know-it-all," Klaus taunted. Dave stuck his tongue out at him so of course Klaus had to respond in kind.

Finding a safe place to sleep was never a sure thing, but they managed to find an alcove in a backstreet where they could huddle on a bit of cardboard and be mostly unseen so long as they were out of there before the morning rush. It wasn't ideal, and it was still much too cold for comfort, but at least they weren't obvious targets.

"Times like these I really miss Texas," Dave said, rubbing his hands together and blowing into them to warm up a little as he got comfortable.

"What I wouldn't do for a nice warm bath," Klaus said, curling up on his side close beside him.

"Here," Dave said, sitting up to take off his coat to lay over the both of them. They pulled it up high enough to block out the street lights and he grinned at him in the darkness. "Now it's like we're having a sleepover."

"Great, we can stay up late, gossip about boys and braid each other's hair," Klaus said. "What else do people do at sleepovers?"

"Did you not have any growing up?"

"That's for sure a no. Dad barely let us talk to any other kids, let alone have friends. No, I'm a sleepover virgin, please be gentle."

"You'll do fine," Dave said, rolling his eyes. "It's just too bad we don't have any ice cream."

"Oh? Is that a requirement?"

"Yeah! You gotta get sick eating too much, it's essential to the experience. Ah well, maybe next time."

"You want me to steal you some?" Klaus offered. "Because I'll go steal you some."

"No, no, I only just got comfortable, you can't move now. And, if you get arrested, who's gonna keep me company?"

Klaus didn't know why he was enjoying this so much; just this, their banter and their closeness. Sure, he found it a little distracting when Dave's eyes caught the light just so, or when Klaus found himself staring at Dave's lips a little too long, but somehow he was okay with just this. Just what Dave was willing to give.

He could always try to seduce Dave of course, usually he wouldn't hesitate when he found himself attracted to someone, but he couldn't help but be too concerned with what that would mean for them. Klaus would probably feel the need to move on after that, before any messy feelings could crop up in either of them, and who knows who Dave would become. Klaus hated the idea of anyone growing too attached, and the stifling possessiveness that usually went along with that made his skin crawl. He hated the idea of anyone trying to control him.

Maybe Dave wouldn't be like that, he didn't seem the type, but he supposed it didn't matter. Klaus knew he couldn't be feeling the same tension when their hands brushed in the narrow space between them and he suddenly forgot how to breathe, but Dave didn't even react. So he tried to let it all wash over him and concentrate on what he did have with Dave.

He had more fun with him than he ever had in his life. Everything was an adventure to Dave, even sleeping in some dirty back alley, and Klaus found it infectious. He didn't want to risk losing this. Besides, it was certainly novel being around someone who wasn't trying to get anything out of him. They talked and laughed until Klaus was so tired, all he could do was fall asleep.

* * *

Klaus woke with a strangled cry, nearly hyperventilating as he scrambled in search of the drugs he had hidden in his shoe. He swallowed two pills dry and laid back down, trying to catch his breath and block out the voices of the dead as he waited for the drugs to take effect.

"You okay?"

He glanced over to see Dave sitting up and watching him with concern, a hand outstretched like he wanted to touch him, but wasn't sure if it would be welcomed. He'd forgotten he was even here.

"Oh, yeah, peachy," Klaus said, scrubbing a hand down his face, trying to wipe away some of the sweat. Now that he was beginning to calm down and cool off, he was starting to feel just how cold it was.

"Nightmares? Or—" Dave began, but he trailed off, like he wasn't sure he was allowed to pry.

Klaus considered how he could reply. He could lie, maybe deflect with a joke and change the subject entirely. That was his usual strategy. But Dave already knew about the ghosts, so the deception seemed pointless. He wondered why he was being so honest with him. He didn't trust anyone, and he certainly didn't open up about anything that mattered, so why had Dave wedged his way in past his defenses?

But then Klaus glanced over at him, met his eyes and the depth of emotions they held, and something inside him cracked and melted away. He found himself making a decision before he could reason his way out of it.

"Hey, you try to sleep peacefully with hundreds of ghosts screaming at you," he said, levity still the easiest way for him to admit anything.

"Shit," Dave said, apparently putting together much more than Klaus had meant to give him. "How do you get any sleep at all?"

"Usually by getting blackout drunk or high," Klaus said, like it was no big deal. Like he hadn't been ruining his own life since he was 12 years old just for a bit of peace.

"Right, you mention it blocking them out," Dave said, and there was more sympathy there than anyone should have. Especially someone who had known him as long as Dave had. Then he reached out, waiting a moment to make sure Klaus had time to pull away if he wanted, before laying a comforting hand on his arm.

Physical closeness didn't really mean much to Klaus. In fact, he was practiced at not really having any boundaries. He'd found it easier to just go with the flow and not care if people touched him. But things felt different with Dave. Throughout their friendship, Dave had let him set the pace: Klaus had been the one to start with the playful roughhousing, to fall asleep on his shoulder. The contact they had felt comfortable and familiar. It made Klaus feel like he could pull away and Dave would do the same, no questions asked.

He wasn't used to anyone respecting when he wanted space. Almost everyone pushed him around, or touched him like they owned him. He wasn't used to feeling like a person. Maybe that was why he was still here, with Dave. Sure, there had been a few others who treated him well, but honestly, that had made him even more wary. If they got attached, things would get complicated. But that didn't bother him now. Did he want Dave to get attached? Why was this different?

He couldn't help but search Dave's face, as if the answers he was looking for could be found there. That was when he noticed that he didn't have the blurry look of someone who had just woken up. In fact, he looked even more exhausted than before. At least that was a handy tangent for him to grab onto.

"Can't sleep?" He asked.

"Yeah, you know," Dave said, letting him change the subject. "It's still pretty cold, I just haven't been able to get comfortable."

"Okay, then," Klaus said. "How about this?"

He never had been particularly good at controlling his impulses. That was how he lived his life, after all; indulging in every whim. So he scooted closer, taking Dave by surprise and causing him to instinctively raise his arm up out of the way. Klaus took that as an invitation and pressed in close, throwing his own arm casually across Dave's side. He sighed contentedly, slowly but surely feeling Dave relax against him. After a moment, he lowered his hand as well, hesitating like he wasn't sure what to do with it, until he finally rested it against Klaus' arm.

He just wanted to touch, to wrap him in his arms and hold him, and be held. It didn't mean anything, so why did it feel so right? He wasn't really sure where all of this was coming from. This wasn't the type of physical closeness he'd usually indulge in, but it seemed like they could both use some comfort and warmth, so why not? Idly, the thought crossed his mind that he'd been waiting ages to do this. It surprised him and he quickly had to backtrack. Surely that was just the drugs talking. Or the lack of drugs. Or just a result of the nightmares. Whatever, he didn't want to think about this anymore.

"Now, get some sleep," he said, as much to Dave as to himself.

'Yeah, sure," Dave said sarcastically and Klaus pulled away just enough to look up at him.

"What, still cold? Or, I could move back over there if you'd prefer," Klaus said lightly, like he didn't care either way, because he wanted Dave to feel just as comfortable as he made him feel and he wasn't sure how else to do it.

"No, sorry, I didn't mean—" Dave said quickly, turning a bit pink, before taking a deep breath to gather himself and continue. "This is better, yeah. I'll get some sleep now."

He briefly squeezed his shoulder too, like he didn't want him to go, and Klaus couldn't help but grin in triumph, hiding his face against his chest as he settled back down, feeling proud that he'd managed to fluster Dave. And here he'd thought the night was going to be terrible.


	12. Chapter 12

Klaus woke first. He certainly wasn’t a morning person, but the sound of the city coming to life around him had become something of a wakeup call out of necessity for him. It was usually best to be up and out of wherever he’d happened to fall asleep before anyone else could come to. He never knew when someone was going to be angry, confused, or just start accusing him of something he probably definitely did. 

But that wasn’t the case today. Sure, they needed to clear out before anyone could come by to hassle them, but for once he wasn’t worried about the company. He looked down to find Dave curled against his chest and couldn’t help the slight smile that tugged at his lips. It was nice, seeing him so at ease. The world was never really safe for people like them, but at least he could watch Dave’s back and give him a moment’s peace. 

He froze at that thought. It was so easy to forget when he was with Dave. Out here, it was everyone for themselves. He could barely afford to watch out for himself, let alone anyone else.Their situations were at least a little similar, was it the same for Dave? He certainly didn’t act like it, at least not when they were together, and he didn’t really know what that meant. 

Maybe they worked because they were two people with nothing to offer. But that wasn’t completely true. Klaus knew better than most that everyone always had something to trade when it really came down to it. So what was it about him that Dave could possibly want? And why hadn’t he already asked, or tried to take it at the very least? Maybe he was playing a long game? Or maybe Klaus was just being paranoid, trying to ruin one of the few good things in his life because he wasn’t used to good. 

Why was it always like this with Dave? Klaus didn’t care about anything. He couldn’t. It was just him and the drugs and everything else was just background noise. But Dave had somehow managed to wedge his way past that and Klaus was so close to revealing his hand, losing his guard completely. Dave was just too kind, too easy to talk to. Then again, could anyone really be this nice? 

He was tempted to scold himself for starting out the day all suspicious, but then, that’s in large part why he was still alive. He had to stop brooding, though, because it was only a matter of time before someone stumbled across them, so they had better get moving. 

“Hey, sleeping beauty,” Klaus said, shaking him slightly. 

“Mmm, five more minutes,” Dave mumbled, and Klaus couldn’t help but laugh 

“I’d love to, but I’m afraid I have a confession. I can’t feel my arm.” Klaus indicated the arm Dave was currently lying on. 

“Oh good, because I have a confession too,” Dave said, sleepily. “Your elbow is digging into me. I suppose this means we should probably get up.”

He looked up at Klaus, then, but as he did so, his eyes widened in surprise. They were much closer than he’d apparently thought and he hesitated, a dusting of pink across his cheeks. There was no missing or explaining away the way his eyes darted down to Klaus’ lips, lingering a moment too long, before he scrambled back and away from him, face crimson. 

“I am so, so sorry,” Dave said earnestly.

“What?” Klaus said, sitting up, wondering what all that was about. It seemed like an overreaction, he certainly didn’t mind getting checked out. 

“I just don’t want to ruin things between us. I know I already had a chance and blew it, I just don’t want you to think I’m gonna make it all weird because I have a crush.You’re my best friend, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

He was babbling a bit but Klaus was, for once, too stunned to respond immediately. Where was he even supposed to begin with all of that? What chance had he blown? Best friend?  _ Crush _ ? At least he could divert things with a little teasing. 

“Are you saying you have a crush on me?” Klaus asked, amused when Dave turned an even darker shade of red. “Aww, that”s so gay!”

“Shut up,” Dave pleaded, hiding his face in his hands. . 

“Wait a tick, roll it back. I never said I wasn’t interested. Where’d you get that?” 

“Oh,” Dave said in realization. He rubbed his face in frustration. “I am so stupid. I got super wasted on the second date, and that made two dates in a row that had ended horribly with you, I just figured I’d ruined any chance I had. Besides, I’m pretty sure I threw up on you. I can’t really remember.”

“You didn’t, which actually puts you ahead of most of the people I’ve been with,” Klaus said cheerily.

“I am such an idiot,” Dave groaned, covering his face again. “I think I’m just gonna bury myself in the ground now.”

“That might make it a little difficult to flirt,” Klaus said with a wink.

“Don’t make fun of me,” Dave groaned.

“I’m not, I swear,” Klaus said, raising his hands in surrender and chuckling. 

And here he’d only just come to terms with thinking Dave wasn’t interested. He was getting a bit of emotional whiplash. He couldn’t believe that Dave had done such a good job hiding it. Usually Klaus was much better at spotting this kind of thing. It gave him a sinking feeling, for some reason, even as he grinned and put on the charm. At least this was something he was used to. He knew how to handle this. 

Things had been too good for too long, so he supposed it was about time the world righted itself. Now Dave would finally get what he wanted and they’d go their separate ways just like everyone else. It was a lonely feeling, but he stomped that down. This was how it was supposed to be. He was supposed to be on his own. 

“Man, to think we could have been having fun this entire time,” Klaus said, hoping to move things along. “I’m surprised you never made a move.” 

“I didn’t think you wanted me to,” Dave said, rubbing the back of his neck and avoiding eye contact. “And, um— I’m kinda ace, so, you know, casual fun isn’t really on the menu, if you know what I mean.”

That left Klaus a little speechless. If not casual fun, what else could Dave possibly want? “So, wait, what about in the beginning? You seemed interested enough.”

“Yeah, I was. I mean, I am. I don’t really mind sex. I mean, I don’t ever get the urge myself, which I know can be a dealbreaker for some guys. But it can be fun every once in a while with the right partner. I just have never been very good at keeping feelings out of it. I guess, in the beginning, I was hoping you might be as interested as I was in—“ he waved a hand, trying to come up with the right word for it, before finishing lamely, “something.”

“And then you found out I’m not the dating type,” Klaus finished. Dave actually looked doubtful, like that wasn’t what he’d been thinking at all, but he continued on anyway, desperate to find some sort of solid ground to stand on. A proper relationship was not something he could give him. “I get it, I can be quite the charmer, I know. Glad you learned better and we could clear that all up.”

“Okay,” Dave said, looking a little confused and a little disappointed. 

“But I do have a question,” Klaus continued. 

“I thought you might, most people do,” Dave said, taking a deep breath. “Go ahead.”

“Do you have the names and addresses of the people who told you your asexuality was a dealbreaker?” Klaus asked, cracking his knuckles threateningly. “I think I’d like to pay them a visit.” He couldn’t imagine anything being a dealbreaker with Dave. Especially not his asexuality or how often or seldom (or not at all) he felt like having sex. 

“No, no,” Dave laughed, waving him off. “It’s fine, really. I think it can be scary for people who don’t get it. I don’t feel sexual attraction, but some people interpret that to mean that I’m not actually attracted to them specifically. And no libido doesn’t help with the misconception.”

Klaus fell silent then, not sure what he was supposed to feel. A part of him wanted this, didn’t he? He liked being appreciated, wanted. But only superficially. He was supposed to be temporary, not sticking around long enough for anyone to get attached. But he’d messed everything up by sticking with Dave for so long.

Feelings always made things messy and got people hurt. And he didn’t want to lose Dave. Or hurt him. And it was just so hard to believe he could genuinely be interested after everything he’d seen of him. Dave wasn’t as much of a disaster as he was, he should know better. What did all of this mean for them?

“Sorry,” Dave said suddenly, bringing him back to the present and making him realize he’d been quiet for too long. “I’m sure you didn’t really need to know the ins and outs of my sex life. I think I’ve embarrassed myself more than enough for one day. Can we go back to before I made it all weird?”

“Everything’s weird with you, but that’s okay,” Klaus said, all too eager to grab hold of distractions. Anything to stop thinking about the jumble of emotions inside him. 

“Come on,” Dave said, hurrying to his feet, obviously grateful for the change in topic. “I made friends with the guy who throws out old produce at the grocery store. We should be able to get breakfast there so long as we keep a low profile.”

“You’re asking a lot, but I’ll give it a try.”

Why was it so easy for Dave to disarm him? Even when he went in with his guard up, he ended up trusting him anyway. All he knew was that once they parted ways, Klaus was going to get high. Very, very high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They finally talked about their feelings! Kinda lol. Things are still just kinda complicated. Maybe eventually they'll get there. Oh, and Dave is ace now, it's canon lol. Anyway, this was really difficult to write for some reason, so feedback is welcome!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for suicidal ideations and mentions of overdosing

Klaus was meandering down a backstreet, lost in a haze of drugs. He didn’t really have any plans and only realized he’d unconsciously been wandering near one of Dave’s haunts when he spotted him. It had been a few days since they’d last seen each other and he was unreasonably excited to see him, immediately thinking of things he needed to tell him. They hadn’t really talked about Dave’s confession since that night, but that was fine. It was better if Klaus never thought about it again. Things were back to normal and that was all that mattered. 

He was about to call out and get his attention when he caught sight of his grim expression. That was odd, he’d rarely seen Dave in a bad mood, even when he was alone he usually had a smile on his face. He was moving too quickly to catch, now, so Klaus just shrugged and followed him into a nearby bar. 

Dave was a pretty friendly guy, he usually had a few acquaintances he’d check up on in the various places he could be considered a regular, make sure the more disenfranchised were getting along okay, even while he himself had his own struggles, so Klaus decided he had time to get drinks. He ordered a shot to bring over for each of them as well as one extra. He downed that one before taking the other two and turning to find Dave— only to see him stagger out the back door. 

He hadn’t seemed particularly drunk or high, so he wasn’t sure what was up with him. Klaus looked down longingly at the drinks he was holding, sighed heavily, and put them down so he could follow. He couldn’t help himself, though, and doubled back to down another before heading out.

He found Dave doubled over in the alley, leaning heavily against the wall like he was going to be sick. He looked it, too, and had to wipe away the sweat dripping down into his eyes. He glanced over when the door slammed behind Klaus and he didn’t look all that surprised to see him. They hung around the same areas so it certainly happened often enough. 

“I don’t think I can do this,” Dave said by way of greeting. 

“It’s fine,” Klaus said lightly, patting his back. “Better out than in, right? Just let it go.”

“No, not that,” Dave said, shaking his head vehemently. “I don’t think I can be here.”

“I know it’s kind of a dive bar, but it’s not the worst we’ve ever been.”

“No, I know, it’s just—“ Dave turned to face him, leaning back against the wall for support. But he seemed to be having trouble keeping eye contact and let his eyes wander upward towards the night sky as he spoke, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Last night, me and a buddy were shooting up. I was too out of it to really notice, but he ODed. If another guy hadn’t come by to see how we were doing, he’d probably be dead. I was sitting right there, and I almost just let him die.”

“Oh, come on, that’s not your fault,” Klaus said, waving a hand dismissively. “You can’t stop everyone from ODing.” 

He knew it sounded callous, but not thinking about how often homeless drug addicts died from overdoses was his personal way of dealing with it. Well, and hoping he’d be one of those statistics sooner rather than later. He should have known Dave was too nice for that, though. 

“No, but I should at least be able to notice when someone sitting right next to me is dying,” Dave said, pushing away from the wall as he began to pace, gesturing almost frantically. 

“We’re all dying, really. That’s why I get wasted; to not think about it,” Klaus said. Dave didn’t look convinced, so he continued. “What are you going to do, then?

“I don’t— I don’t know. I haven’t really cared where my life was headed, but I don’t want to be the kind of person who just watches someone die because I’m too busy self destructing to notice. I think it’s time I try to clean up my act. Get sober.”

“All that sounds like way too much work, but good on you,” Klaus shrugged. “You know I can’t do this with you, though, right? Going sober?”

“Yeah, I know,” Dave said, dropping his gaze and kicking miserably at the pavement. 

“Well, I guess this is goodbye, then. It was fun while it lasted,” Klaus said, telling himself it didn't matter. It  _ shouldn’t  _ matter. If this was inevitable, maybe Klaus was a little too eager to grab onto an excuse to hurry along the end of their friendship. He felt numb. At least, he tried desperately to feel numb. 

“Wait, it doesn’t have to be,” Dave said a bit desperately, like he hadn’t seen it coming. “It’s not like we only hang out in clubs and bars.”

“Yeah, maybe we’ll still run into each other,” Klaus conceded, even though he knew that was unlikely. He didn’t want to be the cause of Dave falling off the wagon and it was unlikely they’d meet in a situation that wouldn’t test his resolve. 

“I know this is asking a lot, but, can you take me to rehab?” Dave asked after a pause. “I need help. I’m worried I might be too tempted to chicken out.”

“This isn’t some elaborate ploy to get me into rehab, is it?” Klaus asked, only half joking. 

“What? No, of course not,” Dave said hurriedly. 

“Okay, okay, I just had to check,” he chuckled at his sincerity. “You wouldn’t believe some of the weird ways people have tried to get me into rehab.”

Dave was unusually quiet the entire way there. Klaus rambled about whatever came to mind to fill the silence, but it was weird that this was probably going to be his last memory of Dave. Nothing to say, when they’d spent so much time talking together. 

“Sorry I ruined your night,” Dave said as they stood outside the gates of the facility. 

“Nah, nothing’s been ruined,” Klaus shrugged. “You sure about this?”

Dave looked over at him and, after a moment, gave a determined nod. They exchanged a brief hug, Klaus surprised by the strength behind it, and then he watched as Dave headed inside. Standing there, a weight settled in his chest as the cold dark night seemed to press in around him, and he was alone again. 

This was probably a good thing, right? Dave was going to get clean and move on, living a life that wasn’t in constant danger like it was out here. And at least they weren’t parting on bad terms. He just hadn’t imagined it ending like this, maybe that was the only reason it was hitting him like this. And maybe this wasn’t the end, maybe he was being overly dramatic. It felt like some sort of end, though. 

It was selfish and cruel to want to keep Dave here, in his life. And he did, there was no lying to himself about that. But, for the first time in a long time, he didn’t want to do the selfish thing. Not when it meant stopping Dave from probably becoming happy and healthy and alive. In this life, you ran hard and fast and died young, Klaus had no delusions about that. And of course he wouldn’t wish it on anyone else, it was good anytime someone decided to try to get clean. But it had never left Klaus feeling so alone before. 

“Wanna see a movie?” Klaus asked the empty air. 

“Sure,” Ben said suddenly at his side, voice quiet as if he understood the weight of the situation. 

Somehow, the thought of drugs or alcohol turned his stomach. He hated them as much as he loved them, but right now, he thought he might hate them a little more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who left such nice messages on the last chapter regarding Dave being ace! I'm very glad so many of you enjoyed the reveal, I love making my favs ace lol


	14. Chapter 14

“Oh, come on,” Ben groaned. “Of all the things we could be doing--”

Klaus knew he had been even more reckless than usual and Ben had obviously had enough. Then again, he’d probably had enough of his shit five minutes after he showed up as a ghost for the first time.

“Oh, come on, Ben,” Klaus said. “Live a little, why don’t you.” 

“I’m dead, remember? If I was, I certainly wouldn’t be doing stuff like this. You’re either about to get seriously injured or arrested,” Ben said, exasperated. “Or both. I thought Dave getting clean might inspire you to do the same.”

“Obviously you know absolutely nothing about me,” Klaus said.

“You’re right. I gave you way too much credit,” Ben rolled his eyes, clearly giving up on him.

“Ooh, someone’s feeling nasty today.”

“Don’t you ever get tired of this?” Ben asked, gesturing around them at the grimy streets and just the general situation they were about to get into. “One of these days you really are gonna end up dead.”

“At least it’ll probably be funny,” Klaus said, giving him a grin before jumping into action.

The plan had been to con one of the shittier dealers, the one that was constantly trying to rip people off. Klaus figured, why not return the favor? Unfortunately, things went wrong like they usually do. He got a little too greedy, pushed his luck a little too far, and the next thing he knew he was being tackled as he tried to flee around the corner.

He didn’t really like fighting all that much, too much work and all that, but he was wound up enough now. He could certainly hold his own and he had to admit it was nice to blow off a little steam. Too bad the cops happened to be passing by. There went some perfectly good drugs. And, of course, Ben was there to say he’d told him so.

At least he was going to rehab instead of prison. And he couldn’t help but laugh when he realized it was the same one Dave had gone to. 

“Looks like this’ll be fun after all,” Klaus said, grinning at Ben.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Ben groaned. “It’s like they’re trying to reward your bad behavior.”

It hadn’t even been a full week since they’d last seen each other. They’d gone longer before, but for some reason knowing that that wouldn’t change for a full month had somehow made it worse. Klaus didn’t want to admit how much he’d missed him, but now that he was going to see him again, he couldn’t deny how excited he suddenly found himself. He was barely sitting still while they were signing him in, and once they’d taken him to the common room, he spotted Dave chilling with a book almost immediately.

“Well,” Klaus exclaimed as he made his way over. “Fancy meeting you here!”

“Klaus,” Dave said, looking equal parts pleased and confused. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey, when the judge gives you a choice between rehab or jail, it’s an easy one,” he said, dropping into the chair next to him.

“Are you okay?” Dave asked, noting the bruises and the black eye. Thankfully most of the damage wasn’t visible.

“What, this old thing? It’s nothing,” he said dismissively. “So how have you been?”

“Shitty,” Dave said with a little laugh. He definitely looked under the weather. Withdrawal had clearly set in and, while he was probably through the worst of it, he was still sweaty and achy and, just, generally miserable. “What about you? Are you going to be okay? You know, here?” He tried to make a complicated gesture that probably meant, ‘ghosts,’ but gave up at Klaus’ bemused look. 

“Don’t you worry about a thing,” Klaus said, patting his shoulder. “I got it covered.”

No one had their own room here. Instead, everyone claimed a narrow bunk bed and hoped whoever was above, below, or next to them didn’t snore too loudly. The beds near Dave were all taken, but Klaus still crashed on one when they went to Dave’s for a bit of privacy. 

“It’s ridiculously easy to get stuff in here,” he was explaining, gesturing expressively as he laid it all out. “Just gotta bribe the right orderlies, or trade with the newcomers who managed to smuggle some in. Pretty sure my stash here was hidden well enough that I can dip into that too.”

“Klaus, come on,” Dave said, rubbing at his face with an exhausted sigh. 

“What?” Klaus laughed. “I can’t help it if rehab is a pretty great way to get off the streets while still keeping the ghosts away. Just fewer dealers to turn to, so if you have to deal with an asshole, you could get yourself into a jam. I mean, there was this one guy who--”

“Klaus,” Dave snapped. “Please-- just stop.”

“Oh please don’t tell me you’re gonna lecture me about getting sober too,” Klaus groaned, flopping back onto the bed. “Maybe I won’t share any drugs with you after all.”

“Klaus!” 

“Right, you’re actually trying to get sober,” Klaus said and he hadn’t realized how exasperated and frustrated Dave was becoming. “In that case, don’t worry, I won’t tell you where my stash is. It's a secret for a reason. You can still help me steal some more, though.”

Of course he knew what withdrawal did to people, but Dave always seemed so chill, it was hard to even picture what a testy Dave would be like. It probably said something fucked up about him that he thought it was a little amusing. Well, maybe not amusing. Maybe interesting was a better word. If he was going to get a lecture like he did from Ben, though, that kinda made him want to push even more. 

“Look,” Dave said with a heavy sigh, and somehow that was worse than him being angry. “You don’t have to take this seriously, but I’d hoped you could at least respect what I’m trying to do here.”

“No, yeah, totally,” Klaus said, hands raised in surrender.

“I’m not asking you to help me, just-- don’t intentionally make this harder for me, okay?”

“Fine, if you’re gonna be such a buzzkill,” he said, feeling petty, waiting for the lectures to begin.

“No, you know what? I’m sorry, I can’t do this,” Dave said, standing up and leaving the room. Apparently he wasn’t going to get a lecture after all. Klaus couldn’t help but feel guilty that he’d expected it. Dave had never done that sort of thing to him before, after all. 

“Good going,” Ben said, suddenly sitting in the bed next to Klaus.

“Oh, shut up,” Klaus said, throwing a pillow at him, scowling as it flew harmlessly through him. He was silent for a long moment, before he continued much more seriously. “Things aren’t going back to normal, are they?”

“Probably not,” Ben said. 

He’d had grand plans of the two of them causing havoc here; elaborate heists to steal drugs, making fun of the doctors behind their backs during group sessions, that sort of thing. He knew Dave wanted to get clean, but it hadn’t really occurred to him that he might want to take a lot of this seriously. 

“I need to get out of here.”

“Or you could stay, try to get clean too,” Ben said.

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” he said, shooting a glare at him. 

He felt guilty just sneaking out, especially right after that little fight, so he came to a decision with a defeated sigh. He supposed that if all this stuff actually helped Dave, he could try not to be such an ass about it. Surely they could find other ways to have a good time. Maybe they could still pull pranks on the orderlies that treated them all like shit. 

For now, he dug around in his bag before heading back out into the common room. He found Dave sitting in the corner, hunched over a table and chewing on his fingernail absently. Klaus dropped into the chair next to him, pulling another over to throw his feet up on.

“Truce?” Klaus said, spreading various makeup and nail polish out onto the table, all from a recent theft of his. Thankfully, there was no proof he’d stolen it, so the cops had let him keep it.

“You really are something else,” Dave said with a chuckle, shaking his head, but he turned to face the table more fully, looking over some of the items. 

“Okay,” Klaus said, picking up an eyeliner pen and scooting closer. “I can take a hint, I’ll shut up.”

“You can?” Dave said with a chuckle.

“I can be very observant when I want to be,” Klaus said, holding the eyeliner up in offering. “May I?”

“So of course you rarely want to be,” Dave said with a grin, snatching the eyeliner from him. “Me first.”

“Whatever you want,” Klaus said, pleased he was engaging. He leaned forward, closing his eyes as Dave got to work.

“So, you gonna tell me how you ended up here, or what?” Dave asked.

As Klaus recounted his adventures over the last few days, Dave seemed to loosen up a bit, and when he finally won a real proper laugh from him, Klaus couldn’t help but peek one eye open to grin at him.

“Keep your eyes closed,” Dave scolded. “You’re already squirming all over the place. And I’m out of practice”

“Fine, fine,” Klaus said, trying to hold still. “But I better look amazing by the time you’re done.”

“You already do, don’t worry.”

After a moment, though, Dave’s hand stilled, and Klaus peeked again. His stomach fell when he saw Dave was sitting there, staring at his own hand. It was trembling and even gripping his wrist didn’t help. He dropped the eyeliner onto the table and rubbed his hands together in frustration.

“Yeah, it’s just gonna get worse,” Klaus said sympathetically.

“I know, I’ve done this before,” Dave snapped testily, before sighing and shaking his head. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a thick skin.”

“Doesn’t matter, you don’t deserve it. Thanks for helping.”

“‘Help,’ is a strong word,” Klaus said. “You’re just the only one here who knows how to have a good time, so of course I’m gonna hang around.”

“Well, either way, it’s appreciated,” Dave said, and his fond smile was much too genuine. 

“Here,” Klaus said, snatching the eyeliner back up. Things were getting much too serious. “I think it’s my turn to do you.”

“Okay, okay,” Dave said, leaning against the table and closing his eyes. “My life is in your hands.”

“It’s just makeup, Dave, calm down.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it isn't obvious from context, getting sober is incredibly difficult and rehab can be a good and helpful resource; Klaus only mocks it because, if he took it seriously, he might lose his whole numb apathy shield thing he's got going on and he's really not ready for that.


End file.
